


The Fraudulent

by Celestial_Alignment



Series: The Prince [3]
Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Ceti Alpha V, F/M, Multi, Sequel, conclusion
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-01
Updated: 2018-12-18
Packaged: 2019-02-09 06:56:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 49
Words: 147,332
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12882531
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Celestial_Alignment/pseuds/Celestial_Alignment
Summary: Captain Kirk left Khan and Marla McGivers on Ceti Alpha V with the other 72 augments. Six years later, he learns that the planet is doomed to destruction. Sequel to fic "Sins of the Lion" and conclusion to the trilogy.





	1. Chapter 1

 

“If ya ask me, this whole thing has a bad vibe to it.”

“It may be worth pointing out to you, doctor, that no one did ask you.”

“Well, maybe it would do _you_ some good, Spock, if you did ask me once in a while for some intuitive input, ‘cause you sure as hell don’’t have all the answers with pure logic.”

“Oh my God, why is this elevator taking so long…?”

“The validity of any input based on intuition is highly dubious—”

“ _Dubious?_ What’s _dubious_ is the fact that we’re on our way to pay you a visit—but wait a minute, _you_ _’re_ going to visit you, too! If two Spocks standin’ in the same room together doesn’t make somethin’ _dubious,_ then I dunno what does.”

“…how many floors does this place have…?”

“Though Ambassador Spock and I inhabit the same physical body, varied by age, we are in fact individuals with our own unique histories.”

“A thorn by any other name still pains my ass…”

“Your metaphor and the Shakespearean quote you seemingly hoped to allude to are virtually irrelevant in this case, since Ambassador Spock and I do, in fact, have the same name…”

“Guys…”

“I’m tellin’ you, Spock, I gotta bad feeling. Take it or leave it.”

“I shall choose to ‘leave it’ then, since your ‘feelings’’ are nothing more than a physical manifestation of your own commonly overactive imagination coupled with your chronically rampant emotions.”

“Guys, come on…”

“Yeah? Listen here you green blooded machine, we’ll see who’s havin’ emotions when I get to say _I told you so._ ”

“I see three fallacies in your prediction, the first—”

The elevator stopped and the doors opened, cutting short any and all arguments.

“Thank God!” Kirk said under his breath.

With Spock and McCoy on each side of him, the captain stepped out into the immaculate hallway of the Vulcan Embassy. Through the windows could be seen the grounds of Starfleet Academy in the distance, half cast in blue shadows by the setting sun. Glowing red behind it as it caught the waning light of the sun was the Golden Gate Bridge.

Hours earlier Kirk, Spock, and McCoy had each received personalized messages from Ambassador Spock, who requested them to meet with him together. No reason was given, except that they all happened to be in San Francisco at the same time by fortuitous circumstances.

“You tell me, Spock,” Bones was whispering gruffly now as they passed by a few somber Vulcan diplomats. “What are the chances of you inviting anyone over for some whiskey and a game of cards?”

“You suggest that this is a social call. We have not been given enough information to conclude one way or the other…”

Kirk let a heavy sigh escape as the other two debated endlessly. He wasn’t going to think about the reasons why they were asked to come here when they were literally on their way to get the answers anyway. When they finally reached a barren lobby, they were met by a young Vulcan man in heavy, dark robes.

“Captain Kirk,” he said flatly, but with a softer voice than most Vulcan’s tended to have. “My name is Velek. If you would all please follow me, the Ambassador is expecting you.”

They were led to an office, which was adjacent to the private suite given to all Vulcan diplomats staying at the embassy. The office was dimly lit, the orange Vulcan-made lamps glowing eerily from the table tops. The temperature was well into the eighties Fahrenheit, a comfortable climate for their copper-based blood but a little too toasty for Kirk’s taste.

As they entered by Kirk’s lead, the thin, angular form of Ambassador Spock rose from behind the console at his desk. He was slightly stooped, his features withered and his eternally perfect hair silver and gray. Kirk had not seen him with his own eyes since he bid him farewell on Delta Vega seven years ago, and after becoming so close and familiar with the younger counterpart, it was surprisingly shocking to see the aged version. When his eyes fell upon the entering trio, they showed the intelligent spark that Jim knew all too well. Young or old, it was still Spock, and yet… his aged face betrayed something that wasn’t often seen. There was a small smile.

“Jim,” his voice was lacking in the crispness that Kirk was used to as it crackled instead. “I am pleased to see you again, my friend.””

“It’s good to see you, too.”

It actually was good to see him in a really, really weird way.

“Commander Spock…” He nodded respectfully to his younger self.

“Ambassador Spock,” the first officer gave an almost imperceptible nod back.

“Jesus Christ,” Bones mumbled.

“Dr. McCoy…” the old Vulcan looked thoroughly amused as he approached the bug-eyed doctor. “You and I have not been properly introduced.””

“Properly, no… Though I feel like I know you already.”

The doctor offered a hand to the aged Vulcan despite of the visible vein at his temple. The handshake was polite, but Kirk had to hold in a laugh at the utter confusion that plagued the poor country doctor. He clearly didn’t know how to take two Spocks at once.

“I have been following the accessible reports of your five-year mission,” Ambassador Spock was speaking to all of them, though his attention was primarily on Kirk. ““I would like to congratulate you on its completion.” The glimmer in the old Vulcan’s eye was tinted with nostalgia and perhaps pride.

Kirk, however, felt a weight in his stomach at the sentiment that should have made him proud as well. He ignored it with a clearing of his throat. “Thank you. But, with all due respect, sir… You called us here for a reason?””

“Indeed, I have.” He held a long hand towards the cushioned chairs on each side of a small table. “Please, gentlemen…….”

They seated themselves in a semi-circle, Ambassador Spock sitting serenely in front of them. His knotty hands concealed themselves within the dark fabric of his sleeves, a pensiveness furrowing his gray brow.

“With your five-year mission having been completed for half a year now, I have advocated to Starfleet the candidacy of the _USS Enterprise_ for a mission of singular interest.”

Kirk recognized the sound of Spock choosing his words carefully, even if he was roughly a century older. “And what is this singularly interesting mission?”

“To survey a star system that faces an inevitable cataclysm. This event will destroy one planet and subsequently devastate others as a result, rendering almost all life within the system unable to survive.”

The captain lifted a skeptical brow. “If you followed our five-year mission, then you know we’ve dealt with worse scenarios. There are natural disasters occurring in every corner of the Federation at any given moment. Not to mention the tensions with the Klingons are at an all-time high. There are multiple other—more pressing—missions in the queue for the _Enterprise_ concerning planetary negotiations or the delivery of supplies to Starfleet outposts near the neutral zone. What could possibly make a survey mission take precedence over all that?”

Ambassador Spock did not so much as blink, his gaze steady. “The star system that is doomed to ruin is Ceti Alpha.”

Kirk’s mouth fell open and McCoy bolted upright beside him. Though the younger Spock was not so obvious in his reaction, he did turn his head quite suddenly to regard his captain. An awkward silence fell, and Ambassador Spock was the first to speak.

“According to the official records,” he said calmly, “there are no sentient life forms in the Ceti Alpha star system, therefore Starfleet has no responsibility to interfere. I am suggesting a purely scientific expedition.”

Kirk managed a nod, playing it as nonchalant as he knew how. “Naturally… But, uh… I fail to see how that makes this particular mission significant. Maybe if we knew the details of this so-called cataclysm we could make a more informed decision.”

“An _informed_ decision is precisely what I intend to provide you with, Jim.”

There was a sudden darkness in the elder Vulcan’s eyes that chilled Kirk. It told him that somehow this Spock knew about the secret colony of augments and was feigning ignorance. They both had their own histories with the infamous Khan Noonien Singh and Kirk was beginning to tap into those bad vibes that Bones mentioned earlier.

“What is it that this survey mission will be looking for?” He attempted to keep up the charade, to not mention the name of their mutual enemy.

“The cause of the disaster, perhaps... There is no hazard in telling you that in my own time, stardate 2267, the sixth planet of the Ceti Alpha Star System mysteriously exploded. No cause was ever detected before or after. In fact, the occurrence went entirely unnoticed by Starfleet. It was so immense, however, that it affected a majority of the planets in their orbits, the remnants of Ceti Alpha VI itself becoming little more than fragments added to the surrounding asteroid belt. No planet within the system was impacted as severely as Ceti Alpha V, which was decimated from the only life-sustaining Class M planet to a wasteland of dust and rock.”

The captain was dumbstruck as he listened. When he had left Khan and his people on Ceti Alpha V, the place was beautiful, nearly an Eden in its own right. He was content (up until now) to think they were living out their lives peacefully.

“While you were on your five-year mission,” Ambassador Spock continued, “I have devoted much of my time to this very task. With the approval of the Vulcan Science Academy, I have been leading a study of the system in an effort to discern any potential causes—blackholes, incoming asteroids, volcanic disruptions—all without success. I did not wish for this to interfere with your mission, which is why I have waited until now to apprise you of it.””

“You think we should try to prevent this disaster from occurring?”

“I am not your commanding officer and I cannot know with any certainty what the future holds. It would also be highly remiss of me to attempt to alter your destiny in any one direction. Therefore, I am in no position to tell you what should be done. I have arranged the survey mission, should you decide to accept it. How you make use of your authorization in that quadrant is your own choice.””

There was no way in hell Kirk was going to turn away from this one, and the elder Spock knew it. This supposed survey mission was a means to cover the young captain’s ass from any inquiries Starfleet Command might have of the _Enterprise_ _’s_ presence in that sector.

“The _Enterprise_ may have other assignments that will override this scientific venture of yours.”

Kirk put on an air of professionalism that every man in that room probably knew was a lie. He was the first to rise to his feet. The others followed suit.

“I have faith in your judgment of what is important, captain,” the ambassador replied without pause. It was bizarre to hear a word like ‘faith’’ come out of a Vulcan’s mouth—especially Spock’s. “I will be awaiting your acceptance or refusal of the mission.”

“I’ll let you know by tomorrow,” Kirk offered a confident smile, but he could feel the apprehension beginning to claw at him.

A respectful farewell was exchanged between the four men and the trio walked in silence through the halls of the embassy. The moment they were alone on the elevator that carried them earthbound, Kirk’s face dropped into his hand with a sudden oncoming headache and Spock frowned meditatively at the closed doors of the elevator. Meanwhile, Bones bounced on his heels with unusual cheerfulness, a small smile tugging at the edge of his mouth as his eyes shifted askance to stare at Spock’s profile.

“I told you so.”


	2. Chapter 2

 

Strange new worlds were explored…

They found new life and new civilizations…

They boldly went where no one had gone before.

When the starship _Enterprise_ first returned to Earth Spacedock at the end of its 5-year mission, it was met with fanfare and applause. Its crew received an endless array of commendations and medals for their accomplishments, many of which Captain Kirk personally bestowed upon his crew. It was an exciting time for everyone and a bragging right for Starfleet.

In the months that followed, Jim could feel the wind leaving his sails. The _Enterprise_ and her senior officers were called upon time and time again—not for specialized assignments—but for propaganda, to speak at ceremonies, and requisitioned for mundane projects. True, they were still assigned to various tasks that were important to the Federation, but Jim could feel the iron clasps of bureaucracy taking hold of him. The freedom he had in deep space was a bygone dream and he was becoming their tool again. He was reminded of a little thing called “rules.”

Then suddenly there was Ambassador Spock and his shady mission proposal.

Just when Jim was beginning to feel purposeless, this new problem emerged in which only he could solve. After all, only he and a handful of his comrades knew that Khan didn’t die 6 years ago.

But what kind of obligation was it exactly that they were being saddled with?

After leaving the Vulcan Embassy, Jim invited Bones and Spock back to his apartment for a “night cap,” but they all knew what it really meant. They needed to discuss what potential hell they were facing away from any scrutinizing eyes or ears. Of course, there was nothing wrong with having a drink in the process.

“Scotch, if ya have it…” Bones threw himself into a cushioned chair, his hand going straight to work at loosening the collar of his strangling uniform.

But Jim was already putting a bottle down on the coffee table, complete with three glasses. “All I got is champagne and you’re going to drink it.”

McCoy turned the bottle just enough to examine the label. “Vintage 2241… Sure you don’t wanna save that for somethin’ special?”

“That five-year mission _was_ my something special and I got a bottle of champagne for it…” Jim murmured as he seated himself as well.

Spock was standing beside a small bookshelf, curiously perusing the spines of antique books in silence. Throughout the years, Jim had developed a surprising penchant for antiquities, beginning with his fascination of old literature. He wouldn’t have been surprised if the Vulcan had already read every volume on that shelf at one point or another.

“Make yourself at home, Spock,” Kirk poured a glass for each of them. “We’ve got a lot to talk about.”

Spock compliantly took a chair beside Jim, opposite from Dr. McCoy. As was usual for him, his posture was straight, but there was a sternness about his face that revealed concern, or at least deep thought.

“Well, I’m gonna be the first to say it,” McCoy leaned forward to take his own glass, blues glancing between his friends. “Ambassador Spock knows a lot more than he’s lettin’ on.”

“Obviously,” Spock quipped, ignoring his own assigned glass.

“Would’ve been nice if he didn’t beat around the bush about it,” grumbled the doctor. “D’you think he knows about Khan?”

“I’m willing to bet he does,” said Kirk. “Doesn’t matter how he knows. You heard how much emphasis he put in pointing out that there are no ‘official records’ of sentient life forms in Ceti Alpha. And he made it clear that it was the _fifth_ planet that was in the most danger. Whatever he knows it’s probably best not to pry. I’d hate to drag him into whatever it is we may end up doing when he’s smart enough to play dumb.”

“What the hell are we even supposed to do?” said Bones. “How are we supposed to stop a planet from exploding when _Vulcan scientists_ can’t even figure out why it’s blowin’ up in the first place?”

“I do not think Ambassador Spock expects us to stop anything,” Spock said simply.

Kirk could tell the conclusion had a logical source. “Explain.”

“If the Vulcan Science Academy has failed to discover the possible source of the cataclysm for the past seven years, then it would not be logical to continue exclusively in solving it when there is every reason to expect the event to happen within the next year. If a disaster cannot be prevented, then there are only two logical things to do…”

“Brace yourself or get out of the way,” Jim finished the statement.

“Precisely.”

“Now hold on a damn minute…” McCoy set his glass aside and leaned his elbows on his knees. “You’re not implying that we move an entire colony of augmented criminals—who _officially_ don’t even exist—to a new planet, are you?”

Jim’s gaze was fixed downward, his brow furrowed deeply. “I’m the one who put them there, Bones. That makes them my responsibility.”

“It is as much our responsibility as it is yours,” Spock said curtly. “We supported your decision to give Khan and his people a second chance. It is for that very reason that I wish to caution you in returning to Ceti Alpha V. So long as Khan is there, his destructive tendencies are contained. If you remove him, you are setting him loose upon the galaxy once again.”

“I hate to agree with Spock,” Bones mumbled, “but he’s right, Jim. It’s a bad idea to let that genie back out o’ the bottle.”

“This is about more than Khan, you guys,” Kirk looked pleadingly to the other two, feeling outnumbered. “We left seventy-three other people on that planet, one of which used to be a member of Starfleet. Once upon a time, Marla McGivers was one of us. It’s always been our goal to help people, to save lives and show compassion. When has risk ever stopped us from doing the right thing?”

“When it hits a little too close to home, that’s when,” McCoy said grimly. “In spite of what Spock thinks of me, as a doctor I’ve learned how to remove myself from personal feelings for the sake of my profession. I’ve dealt with hundreds of injured or dead crewmen and have had people screamin’ in agony from some pain or another in my sick bay. I even got a black eye when this pointy-eared bastard was goin’ through his seven-year itch and ended up with my own terminal disease that I was sure would kill me slowly. But the hardest thing I ever had to do was put _you_ in a body bag, Jim. You ended up there because of Khan and I think it was a miracle that it didn’t happen again the last time we met him. I don’t like to push my luck where my friends are concerned.”

It was so common for McCoy to scream and growl his emotions that it made Jim pause to hear the doctor so calm. He found his gaze drifting towards Spock, who was peculiarly quiet.

“Spock?”

The Vulcan maintained his stoic expression, his eyes meeting the captain’s only when he was addressed. “I, too, find it difficult to be objective in this matter, captain. The destruction and tragedy that Khan is singlehandedly responsible for makes me reluctant to cross paths with him ever again. My personal discomfort, however, is not a viable reason to allow an entire colony to perish. We may be forced to compromise our own safety and disregard Starfleet regulations, but I believe it would be the right thing to do. Whatever the outcome.”

A warm smile appeared on the captain’s face.

“I won’t ask either of you to follow me where you don’t want to go,” Kirk articulated the terms very clearly. “This could open Pandora’s box if we do it, and possibly undo everything we’ve gained in the past six years. I won’t hold it against you if you would rather stay out of it.”

McCoy, however, let out an audible sigh.

“Well… Can’t say we haven’t done crazier things…” he said with defeat. “If you wanna transplant a colony of superhumans to who-knows-where, I’m with ya, Jim. I must have finally gone off the deep end, but I’m with ya.”

It took a weight off of Jim’s shoulders to have the reassurance that his wingmen were on his side. It compensated for the lack of confidence he had in himself regarding the matter. Reaching forward, he refilled McCoy’s glass, topped off his own, then held the neglected third glass for Spock to take. The first officer indifferently took it and simply held it in his hand.

“Thank you… Both of you.” Putting on a smile, he raised his glass. “Cheers.”

“Cheers…” McCoy mumbled into his glass just before he took a long sip.

When Kirk lowered his own drink, he saw that Spock had not so much as lifted his. “Come on, Spock. Bottoms up.”

The phrase had the Vulcan’s legendary single eyebrow pop up. “If it is all the same to you, captain, I would prefer not to.”

“Don’t gimme that,” McCoy scoffed. “I’ve seen you drink champagne.”

“The occasions in which you are undoubtedly referring, doctor, are those of a formal nature. This meeting is not only informal, but secretive and far from celebratory, in which you humans often apply this drink.”

While Spock was rambling, Jim finished off his glass and was filling it back up again. He did the same for McCoy.

“As you may well know, Spock…” the captain slouched wearily in his seat. “We _humans_ apply alcohol in any occasion that requires solidarity. Champagne has alcohol and also happens to be the only form of it that I have right now. We just decided to undergo a completely unauthorized mission under the pretense of a routine scientific survey and may or may not have to see the one man we once thought we were rid of once and for all. We need solidarity, so please shut up and drink.”

McCoy gave Jim a firm nod of approval before both humans looked expectantly to the annoyed Vulcan. With a heavy sigh, Spock made no attempt to continue the debate and swallowed down every drop of the bubbling liquid.

“The whole thing’ll be worth it if we get a belch outta him,” McCoy chuckled.

Spock’s chin lifted just slightly as if in silent defiance to McCoy’s wishful thinking and it made Jim laugh, too.

“All right,” said the captain. “I won’t make you drink anymore, Spock. In fact, now that we got the biggest question answered about Ceti Alpha, you’re both free to go. I won’t keep you here when you’ve got better places to be.”

“I had a date with some bourbon, but I don’t see why I can’t do m’drinkin’ here…” McCoy said with nonchalance.

“Unless if drinking alcohol is required I, too, will say awhile longer,” said Spock.

It took some effort for Jim to keep his smile contained. Under the circumstances, he truly hated to be alone. It seemed that spending 5 years in deep space together made it to where he didn’t have to say it for his friends to know.

“No, Spock, you don’t have to drink… But what about Uhura? Everything all right between you two?”

“Somethin’s gotta be wrong if an intelligent, beautiful woman like her has been with a Vulcan for this long…” McCoy mumbled to himself.

Spock easily ignored the doctor’s comment. “In an attempt to maintain some privacy, it should suffice to say that the relationship between me and Lieutenant Uhura is currently without conflict.”

“’Currently’,” Jim chuckled, then nodded. “Okay, that’s good to hear, I guess… I’m assuming that means she doesn’t mind that you’re hanging out with me and McCoy?”

“You assume correctly.”

“So, she’s not waitin’ around at home for ya?” McCoy seemed genuinely curious.

Spock inhaled slowly, showing a hint of agitation at the personal questions. “She expressed her desire to mingle in the social venues of San Francisco while she has the opportunity to do so.”

“Wait…” Jim frowned. “You let her go out on the town alone? Seriously?”

McCoy snorted. “Can ya blame her, Jim? _You_ don’t even like to bar hop with this guy.”

“I’m not the one dating him, Bones.”

“To answer your question,” Spock interjected, “she is in the company of Mr. Scott.”

“In that case, she’s in good company,” Jim commented quietly, all mirth quickly dying out as he thought about the inevitable dawn. “After I accept that mission from Ambassador Spock in the morning, we’ll have a lot of grief ahead of us… might as well enjoy this while we can.”

“I’ll drink to that,” McCoy lifted his glass.

“As will I.” To their surprise, Spock took another sip of a drink that couldn’t even intoxicate his Vulcan blood.


	3. Chapter 3

 

“Captain’s Log, Stardate 2266.34. We are in orbit around the fifth planet of the Ceti Alpha Star System. Our current assignment is to observe and accumulate data of the neighboring planet, Ceti Alpha VI, which is predicted to explode. We’re here to find out why. Ergo, I’ve elected to get only as close as is absolutely necessary for the safety of my crew. The mysterious incident isn’t expected to occur for approximately another year, but with so many unknown variables, it could very well happen at any second—or not at all. A full sensor sweep is underway of the sixth planet. As of yet, nothing relevant has been detected. There is, however, a magnetic field that is prohibiting a full penetration of our sensors into the core of the planet. Since Ceti Alpha VI is a Class K planet, it is stable enough to place a landing party on its surface for a closer investigation. I’ve selected Commander Spock to head a science team, accompanied by Lieutenant Commander Sulu and Lieutenant Chekov. What they do or don’t find will determine the length of time that we continue our mission here. Their shuttle will be deploying at 0800—the away team is preparing for departure at this very moment.”

The recorder was shut off on the PADD and handed to the yeoman who stood patiently nearby. The viewscreen was alive with the imagery of the Ceti Alpha System. Its sun glowed white, its orbiting planets all individually magnified on the screen, their unique but scant data scrolling around them. In all the years that the Federation had included this system in its star maps, there was so little information gathered on it. It was bizarre that Starfleet would neglect any sector in such close proximity to crucial bases, like Regula I.

Before the _Enterprise_ launched for this mission, Kirk had scheduled a discreet briefing with a select few officers, to inform them that the mission was truthfully—albeit unofficially—regarding the augments on Ceti Alpha V. This meeting included everyone who was still currently assigned to the ship, who had been present six years ago to witnesses the conflict with Khan and his crew. It was a small roster of co-conspirators that Jim found himself with: Uhura, Chekov, Sulu, Leslie, Garrovick and of course Spock and McCoy. Scotty had been unconscious during a majority of the incident, but as a friend and senior officer, Jim had long since told him the truth of it. He would need them all on the same page for whatever was to come.

“It sure doesn’t look like a planet that’s ready to explode…” Dr. McCoy’s voice turned the captain’s head. He was so used to the Chief Medical Officer coming and going on the bridge that he hadn’t noticed his entrance.

“You got that bio-scan of Ceti Alpha V’s surface?” Kirk asked expectantly.

The doctor nodded and pulled up a PADD that had been hidden behind him. He maintained a professional air, but the sharp arching of one eyebrow told of some brewing opinions within him.

“There’s a collection of humanoid readings in one region of the planet’s surface…” he did an admirable job at playing stupid about the identities of these ‘humanoids’. “By all sensor readings, they _are_ human. S’far as I can tell there are over one hundred of ‘em.”

“Over a hundred?” Kirk blurted with genuine surprise. No sooner had he said it did the obvious occur to him. Even augments procreate. He put back on the charade for the rest of the bridge crew. “Did you check Starfleet records for any Federation colonies in this sector?”

“I did…” Bones said automatically. “There are none.”

“Well then… We’ll have to find out who these people are and inform them of the dangers their planet is facing.” He might have been proud of his acting skills if they weren’t to cover his own tracks. But the matter was too delicate and too dangerous to be open about. “Dr. McCoy, you and I will form a landing party to beam down to the coordinates of that colony.”

“Do I have to?”

“Would you rather go alone?”

“That’s not very damn funny…”

“I’m going to see the science team off,” Kirk pushed himself out of the captain’s chair and headed for the turbolift. “Mr. Leslie, plot the coordinates of the colony. As soon as the shuttle deploys for Ceti Alpha VI, I’ll give you the order to put us into synchronized orbit.”

“Aye, sir!” Leslie called from the helm.

McCoy fell in step with the captain, following him into the turbolift and standing shoulder to shoulder as the doors slid shut.

“It’s good an’ well to pretend we just _happened_ to come across a colony on Ceti Alpha V, Jim…”

Kirk knew that tone too well. “But?”

“But how’re ya gonna explain away Khan? After he attacked Starfleet all those years ago, his face was plastered all over the Federation. Now, Starfleet did a good job sweepin’ him under the rug after Admiral Marcus was implemented in that Section 31 conspiracy, but in a crew o’ this size, someone’s bound to remember his face.”

“We just won’t draw attention to it…” Jim murmured.

“Khan’s face isn’t one that a person forgets easily.”

“I remember what he looks like, Bones. It’s been seven years since he was the Federation’s most wanted. He could have changed just enough to be less recognizable. If we’re lucky, maybe he grew a mustache.”

“You rely too much on luck.”

“Spock would agree with you.”

The doctor’s face predictably soured and Jim smirked triumphantly. When the lift came to a stop, he stepped forward, but lingered in the doorway.

“You coming?”

“I’m headin’ back to Sick Bay to get ready for our little reunion. You know, to remind myself why the hell I follow you rather than the safer alternative of… Oh, I dunno… diving into a snake pit.”

Kirk chuckled. “Meet me in the transporter room in an hour.”

He took the incoherent grumble for an acknowledgment and let the doors close behind him as he made his way into the shuttle bay.  


* * *

 

               

“Flight checks complete. Shuttle’s ready for deployment,” Sulu’s crisp report carried out from the pilot’s seat of the shuttlecraft.

“All surwey equipment onboard and secure, commander,” Chekov peeped from the rear of the vessel as he finally paused in his dutiful flitting.

“Thank you, gentlemen. We will stand by for the captain’s order to depart.”

Spock stood beside the steps of the open shuttlecraft, looking almost as though he was on guard rather than patiently waiting, his eyes downward to study the surface of a PADD. Patient he may have seemed, but Uhura wasn’t fooled for an instant. His stoic face was just a little too hard set, his gaze just a little too focused. She had been helping with the shuttle preparations to be sure that all communications were in order… and to steal a moment with her Vulcan.

“What’s wrong?” she asked quietly, looking at his profile.

“Nothing is wrong… All checks are complete and satisfactory.”

His tone was obnoxiously corrective and she knew he was dodging the question. So, she chanced speculating.

“You want to be on the captain’s away team, don’t you?”

His neck straightened, imperceptibly to the untrained eye, his attention remaining on the PADD.

“As a science officer, my expertise and senior command position require me to lead this expedition. The captain’s judgment in selecting this team is logical.”

He was hurt. It wasn’t the first time that Kirk had deliberately kept Spock off of an away team, and in many of those instances she had detected insult in Spock. She detected it now and she wrapped a hand around his forearm.

“I’d rather keep you on the ship where it’s safer,” she knew he tolerated her sentiment. “But if you have to go, I’d want you to with him, too.” _Rather than flying to a planet that_ _’s about to explode_ , she silently added. “Do you think they’ll be okay?”

She didn’t have to utter the name of Khan for Spock to know what she was referring to. His busy fingers paused, hovering over the PADD. At last his rich brown eyes looked to her askance. He didn’t look particularly optimistic.

“We do not have enough information to predict how they will be received.”

Cold, logical, and unhelpful.

She was hoping for one of those rare moments of empathy from Spock and got nothing. With a sigh, she let her hand fall away from his arm. She had to remind herself that this was the man she chose. He was worried too, and when he was worried, the Vulcan half often took over.

“Couldn’t we convince him to wait until you three return from the science mission so that  you could beam down with him to the colony?”

Spock’s focus returned to the PADD. “I’ve already made the suggestion…”

“And?”

“He explained that his intention is to efficiently manage time and resources by conducting two away missions simultaneously. By ordering one for the sake of our official mission, he can lead the other for his own personal motives.”

“Even I know that’s not logical,” she scoffed.

He exhaled quietly. “By his own lengthy argument on the matter, it was not difficult to infer that he is uncomfortable with my inclusion. He seems to anticipate that I will become emotionally compromised.”

he words strained a bit as he uttered them, and it pained her to hear it. It was a low blow for Spock to be considered an emotionally loose cannon—especially by his dearest friend.

“He finds Dr. McCoy a more suitable partner for the mission and I am forced accept his decision.”

Another low blow.

               “Spock…” she said soothingly, her arm coiling with his as she aligned her body against his own rigid form. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but you might be drawing the wrong conclusion. Maybe he just knows you’re the best man for _this_ job…”

She wanted to make him feel better. Unfortunately it was difficult to tell if it was working when he expressed nothing to her. But then, when his eyes looked past her there was suddenly a light in them. It wasn’t long before she learned the cause.

“Captain.”

Jim approached them both with a small smile, blues taking a good look at the shuttle as if it were a child about to be sent off to its first day of school. Uhura moved away from Spock, offering a more professional stance.

“Status?” asked the captain.

“All checks complete,” Spock replied mechanically. “Ready for launch at your command.”

“Good…” Kirk nodded, his gaze drifting to Uhura. “Don’t worry, he’ll be fine.”

All it took was one glance for him to see her concern and she wished she was as good as Spock in hiding it.

“I know he will,” she lied.

“Captain,” Spock lowered the PADD and held it behind his back. “It was not necessary for you to come down here. In fact, you are required on the bridge for deployment when you are not part of the away team.”

“Maybe I need the emotional reassurance that you’ll be taking off safely.” There was a cheeky smirk on Jim’s face.

Uhura waited for the logical counterargument.

“Captain, you stated it yourself…” Spock began quietly. “I will be fine.”

 _Fine_.

He said the word ‘fine’ without any sardonic or patronizing inflection. He was giving the captain the genuine comfort that she hoped to get. Was he humoring her or Kirk?

Jim smiled to Spock nonetheless before turning his attention to her again. “I’d like you to come back to the bridge with me for the shuttle launch. I need someone I can rely on monitoring the coms.”

“Yes, sir…” she murmured, glancing between them.

“Good luck, Spock.” Jim hesitated a moment, then turned to make his way to the turbolift.

“Thank you, captain.”

Uhura waited until she saw the captain’s back before she faced Spock again, catching his eye and holding it. She wanted to beg him to talk to her, to not be so distant. But they each had their duties and she felt able to save that discussion for another day. That didn’t stop her, however, from gathering his blank face between her palms and drawing a chaste kiss from him.

“I’ll be monitoring your frequency,” she smiled, even though the words didn’t express what she really wanted to say.

“Thank you, lieutenant…” the words were formal, but his voice soft.

She chose to be the first to walk away, long strides carrying her towards the turbolift. Only once did she look back, and just in time to see Spock duck into the shuttlecraft and out of sight. With a deep breath she continued, eventually reaching where Jim waited patiently. He gave her a friendly nod and together they stepped inside the lift. He hit the button for the bridge.

“Can I ask you something?” she said quietly, reluctantly turning to him. “Why didn’t you want Spock to go with you?”

With a sigh, his gaze dropped to the floor and she could see the captain disappear as Jim Kirk surfaced. “Did he say something to you?”

“He didn’t have to,” she said sternly. “But he does think you consider him emotionally unstable. How could you make him think that?”

He frowned at her, his jaw tensing. “I never said he was emotionally unstable…”

“He _inferred_ it,” she folded her arms.

“Of course he did…” he groaned. “Okay, maybe my decision did have something to do with the fact that Spock has never approved of my decision to help Khan… and the fact that Spock would have beaten him to death on that garbage transport if you hadn’t shown up to stop him. He hates Khan. He hates him more than he’ll ever admit to you or me. If memory serves, Khan’s not too keen on Spock, either. For the sake of diplomacy, the best thing to do is to keep them as far apart for as long as possible.”

She stared at him as he attempted to explain himself, disapproval simmering inside her. “You know, Spock once told me that _you_ were the one whose feelings regarding Khan were problematic.”

“I’m not looking for revenge against Khan anymore—” His voice began to rise in defense.

“Not _revenge_ ,” she matched his volume. “Spock’s worried that your _respect_ for that man will cloud your judgment.”

“That is not—” The turbolift doors wheezed open to the luminous bridge. He paused only long enough to give her one vindictive glance. “You can tell Spock that I haven’t forgotten what that man did. Then he can _infer_ my ability to judge.”

Marching off the turbolift, he approached the command chair. Uhura made straight for her own station, the officer who filled in for her swiftly moving out of the way. She didn’t like the way that this dual purpose mission was starting off.


	4. Chapter 4

Scotty was left with the conn and Jim couldn’t have trusted his chair to a better man. The shuttlecraft carrying Spock, Sulu, and Chekov had departed for Ceti Alpha VI only moments ago, and the _Enterprise_ had just been put into synchronized orbit over the coordinates of the colony on Ceti Alpha V. So far, everything was going smoothly in this mission juggling act that Captain Kirk was attempting.

He waited in the transporter room for McCoy, maintaining his patience by double checking his utility belt. It had every regulation item for an away team, save for one thing: a phaser. There was an obvious danger in beaming down without any weapons, but he was determined to make his peaceful intentions known. It was his own decision to go unarmed, but he still felt uncomfortably exposed without the weight of the phaser on his hip. Climate readings showed some cooler weather and to prepare for it Kirk was pulling a standard issue jacket over his shoulders.

Finally the good doctor came sauntering into the transporter room, a look of disgruntled defeat on his face. He cut it as close to the departure time as possible, but he was ready to go with a medical tricorder slung over his shoulder and (as ordered) no phaser.

Jim tossed him another jacket. “Bundle up, it’s gonna be chilly.”

There was no argument from McCoy when he ungracefully caught it and began shimmying into it. “Let’s get goin’ before I change my mind,” he mumbled as he walked onto the platform.

“You can change your mind all you like, you’re still coming,” Jim said tersely as he hopped up the steps onto the platform. Standing on one of the lighted nodes, he nodded to the transporter controller. “The beaming coordinates laid in are just outside of the edge of the colony, correct, Mr. Kyle?”

“Yes, sir,” the Englishman nodded from behind the console. “Eight hundred and three meters to be exact.”

“Energize.”

The pad dimmed, the energy sweeping around them and disassembling their molecules until everything faded. As they materialized again, new scenery greeted them. The open sky, though patched with clouds, was a sharp contrast to the confined walls of the transporter room. The sights before them were visible before they were reconstructed enough to feel the biting wind cut across their skin. It was cold alright, the wind carrying a chill of autumn that the sun didn’t seem to acknowledge. In comparison to Earth, and other Earth-like planets, Ceti Alpha V seemed to be between seasons. Winter was on its way.

They could see the blue mountains in the distance, whose tops were tipped with fresh snow, the greenery at the foot of it patched with stark colors of yellow, red, and orange. Were the shapes of the plant life not so foreign, one would think this actually was Earth. They had to turn completely around to see what they had come for.

About half a mile away was the fortified walls of the colony. The structures were sturdy, full buildings erected out of wood and stone, appearing to be expertly constructed cabins. Close by were the metal walls of the cargo crates that Kirk had left them with, converted to what looked like watch towers. Trailing upward from nearly every structure was a thin line of gray smoke, suggesting stoves or hearths. 

Stretching outward into the open fields were various crops. Some consisted of tall stalks, nearly fifteen feet high, others in rows of low-lying plant life. There was even a small orchard, the trees still quite small but thriving even though their branches were becoming bare in the transitioning weather.

Swarming around the edges of the community were small figures—children. Their laughter occasionally carried far enough to be heard, their movements quick and energetic. The entire scene before them was so serene and welcoming that for a brief moment Jim forgot about the potential dangers here.

Kirk took up his communicator. “Enterprise, Kirk here. We made it safe and sound. We’ll report in two hours.”

“ _Message received and acknowledged, captain._ ” Uhura’s transmission was loud and clear.

“Kirk out….” He distractedly put his communicator away as he looked to the colony in front of them with wonder. “Six years and they look like they’ve lived here for thirty.”

“Any colony’s bound to grow fast when it’s run by super humans,” McCoy commented. “It’s rather impressive, actually.”

“Might as well start walking. Hopefully if they see us coming they won’t be caught so off guard.”

The doctor didn’t grumble or complain and followed when Kirk led the way. As much as he liked to criticize Spock’s science or Jim’s sense of adventure, Bones was just as guilty in getting thrills out of studying new cultures. Particularly where it concerned a new race of humans.

They walked in silence, and the nearer they came to the colony, the more they could see. Atop the watchtowers, Jim could finally distinguish the guards. They looked bored, but alert. The moment that Kirk could see the guard, however, the guard could see him too. The person immediately sprang into action, shouting an undecipherable alarm down towards the ground. More shouts could be heard and a handful of adults came charging out from the edge of the community—all of them armed.

Kirk’s hand flattened on McCoy’s chest to stop him, though it was unnecessary, since the doctor halted the instant the alarm was raised. The approaching augments shouted commands out at them, and though Kirk couldn’t make out the words just yet, he went with his best guess and raised his hands.

They were finally near enough that the leading augment’s words were clear.

“ _Don_ _’t move!_ ”

He was armed with a crossbow, raised to his eye line when he stopped a matter of feet away. He was particularly large and athletic, even for an augment, his ethnicity perhaps South Pacific. He had charged across half a mile in moments and was hardly winded.

“Do not move!” He repeated the command, even if it was redundant.

“Wouldn’t dream of it,” McCoy sounded calm, but his eyes were bulging from his face, his hands raised.

“We’re unarmed,” Kirk felt compelled to point out as eight men and women formed a circle around them. Three of them had crossbows, the others armed with frighteningly well-crafted spears. “I’m Captain James T. Kirk of the _USS Enterprise._ ”

“We know who you are, captain,” the man snapped. “And you’re not welcome here.” He looked to a young woman beside him. “Olga, go find Lord Khan.”

She hesitated, but didn’t lower her spear. “But he’s leading the hunting party…”

“ _Get him!_ ” the man roared at her.

She complied without another word and took off at an impressive sprint towards the forest in the distance.

“Bind their hands,” he ordered the others.

Kirk’s hands were jerked behind him and he could feel a wire coil tightly around his wrists. He had to wonder if they always carried twine with their spears.

“Look, we’re cooperating,” Kirk said in a level tone, though his heart felt like it was about to beat out of his chest. “We’ve come to talk, that’s all.”

The leader’s face scrunched more and more with each word that Kirk uttered. “You’ll be doing a lot of talking to be sure, captain. From the bottom of the Pit.” He motioned his comrades with a jerk of his head. “Take them there. Then Khan will decide what to do with them.”

 

* * *

 

 

The shuttlecraft was on course for the sixth planet in the system with Sulu at the helm. Spock was in the co-pilot’s seat, his deft hands working tirelessly on the computer to begin amassing the sensor readings. Chekov, meanwhile was seated at a smaller science console in the aft partition of the vessel.

“On full impulse power, we should arrive at the planet in three and a half hours,” Sulu informed their three-man crew.

All it took was one glance at the helm before Spock was looking back at his sensor readings. “Three hours and _thirty-two minutes_ , Mr. Sulu.”

Spock heard a conspicuous cough from Chekov, as well as a huff from Sulu. Had Spock been human, he would have been just as demonstrative in his annoyance at their constant inefficient approximations.

“The Class K planet’s atmosphere readings are consistent with those previously gathered by the Vulcan Science Academy…” he droned on. “However, detailed geographic readings will be impossible until we can penetrate the magnetic field beneath its crust.”

“I’m getting an unusual reading, sir,” Chekov announced, his voice tinted with perplexity. “Eet’s coming from—Oh, eet’s gone.”

“What kind of reading, Mr. Chekov?” Spock looked to his own console in an attempt to locate it as well.

“Some sort of disturbance on ze surface…”

“Volcanic?”

“I… can’t be sure… There don’t seem to be any indications of seismic actiwity…”

“What kind of a reading was it, lieutenant?” Spock’s forced monotone almost betrayed his impatience.

“Some form of radiation,” Chekov finally clarified. “But I vas sure I saw a surge of something else…”

“Continue scanning, Mr. Chekov, until you have more viable readings.”

“Aye, commander…” Chekov sighed solemnly.

The air was then filled with the melodic sounds of the computers, the readings beeping and whirring as they came in and registered on each of the consoles, or the occasional blip with each correction in the course. Spock was content with nothing more than the computers, it directed him away from more disturbing thoughts of speculating what was happening on Ceti Alpha V. Along with his own well-hidden worry, he could sense the growing tension between his crewmates. Therefore, he was not surprised when Sulu finally broke the silence.

“Am I the only one who’s got a bad feeling about all this?”

“ _Bad feeling_ , Mr. Sulu?” Spock didn’t bother to mask his condescension as he studied the readings on his console.

“You mean ze feeling zat something can go wery bad at any moment?” Chekov added with a scoff. “Not in ze least!”

Spock contained a sigh at the young Russian’s sarcasm. “The circumstances in which we are employed are surrounded by mysteries and ambiguities. Uneasiness is a common reaction in the face of the unknown.”

“Then you’ve got a bad feeling too?”

“Now I’m even _more_ worried,” Sulu mumbled.

“I have made no such statement,” Spock said dryly. “By illustrating to you gentlemen how commonplace your feelings are in this particular scenario, it will be easier for you to recognize it and endeavor to prevent it from affecting your performance. The captain expects as much.”

“Meester Spock…” Chekov’s curly head poked through into the cockpit, a hand gripping the metal beam overhead with a stylus woven in his fingers. “Vhat vould you do if you vere keptin?”

“I am not the captain. However, I am still your superior officer, and as such it is my place to remind you of yours.”

The humans exchanged startled glances before looking sheepishly back to Spock.

“We meant no disrespect, sir,” Sulu spoke for them both. “We trust Captain Kirk and don’t question his orders. It’s just that—”

“Then kindly attend to your duties and keep your speculative—and need I say _unnecessary—_ comments to yourself.” Spock threw a sharp glance to them both before swiveling in his chair to face his computer and lead by example.

There were whispers of acknowledgment and Chekov disappeared back to his own station. Spock was gnawed by embarrassment. He did not intend to sound so defensive or angry, nor did he wish to hurt the uncontrolled feelings of his crewmates. But their persistence in discussing how wrong everything felt was only contributing to Spock’s own troublesome concern.

A brief silence passed, then Spock hit the ship’s communication. “Shuttlecraft One to _Enterprise._ ”

“ _Enterprise here._ ”

The sound of Nyota’s voice was surprisingly calming, but he remained professional. “Lieutenant, has the captain beamed down to the planet yet?”

“ _Both the captain and Dr. McCoy have safely beamed down. The next check in time is two hours from now._ ”

“Please inform me the moment the landing party has checked in.”

“ _Of course, commander._ ”

“Spock out.”


	5. Chapter 5

 

“Y’know, it doesn’t surprise me.”

“What doesn’t?”

“That we’re in a God damned pit, Jim. A _pit._ I should’ve chosen my words more carefully when I said a snake pit would’ve been safer than following you anywhere. I swear, if there are snakes in here…”

“Relax, Bones…”

After they were apprehended, Kirk and McCoy were marched along a faintly trodden path away from the colony. It was less than a mile, Jim guessed, but the walk was strenuous as they went over a small but steep hill that obscured the location of the thing that really needed no other name than it had: The Pit.

The augments had taken all of their devices, including McCoy’s tricorder. Fortunately, they let them keep their jackets after a vigorous search of every pocket. As if it wasn’t cold enough on the surface with the wind, they were now dropped into the stale, damp chill of the hole.

The doctor was walking in circles, jumping at every root that poked him from the clay wall, or wobbling from loose sediment under his boots. Jim, meanwhile, was pacing curiously from one carved wall to the other, dropping his head back once in a while to watch the opening of the pit over their heads. They must have been down there for well over an hour, and if any augment was standing guard over them, he couldn’t tell.

Jim approximated that they were at least 6 meters down. With the red clay that formed the hole, there was no hope in climbing out without some kind of rope or ladder, like the one that was used to get them down there in first place before it was removed. The bottom of the pit was well-trod. There was surely more than one occasion for throwing people down here, and being of the augment variety an especially deep hole would be needed to contain them. Every society needed a jail of some kind and he assumed this was theirs.

“They really do seem to be well established, though, don’t they?” Jim pondered aloud.

“That better mean they established some kind of habeas corpus…” McCoy grumbled.

“Come on, doctor…” Jim used his authoritative tone as he looked to his agitated friend. Bones was scared and needed some diversion. “I want your _professional_ opinion on what we’ve seen so far.”

The doctor’s frown only eased enough to lift one eyebrow, his chest rising and falling with a deep breath. “Like ya said, they seem to be pretty well established in such a short amount of time. But they’re a population of geniuses, so no surprise there. What interests me are those children that we saw. The oldest one that I could make out from so far away looked like any eleven or twelve-year-old.”

“So you think their controlled genetics make them mature quickly?”

Bones was already calmer as his training kicked into gear and he shrugged lightly. “If it’s not their genes it’s this environment. I’d be able to get some readings on the vegetable life here if I had my tricorder…”

“You’ll get it back.” He didn’t sound as confident as he meant to as he raised his eyes to the cerulean sky that shone through the opening of the pit.

“I’d settle for just getting out alive…” McCoy was stepping nearer with sudden concern. Not concern for whatever Jim was looking at, but concern for Jim himself. “What is it?”

“Maybe I was too eager to beam down here…” Jim admitted, dropping his focus to the soil under their feet.

“Well, it’s not like you could have just given them a call. You made a point—a good one I might add—of not leaving them with any kind of communicator.”

“Yeah, but have all my decisions been that well thought out…?”

Jim didn’t even know if his question was rhetorical or not. It didn’t matter when a wind brushed at his back, followed by a resounding thud in the mud. He spun around to see what had apparently dropped behind him and he found himself looking into nebulous eyes that were set over sculpted cheekbones. The gaze was piercing and trapped Kirk where he stood. They were close enough for Kirk to feel breath and the voice reverberated through him with lethal calm.

“I doubted the news when I heard it,” he rumbled, “since the _gallant_ James Tiberius Kirk had given his word that he would never come here again.” Eyes narrowed. “I will allow you one breath of explanation to justify why you’re here.”

Khan stared with the intensity of a jaguar ready to pounce and the captain felt his knees tremble a bit. He stole one upward glance to the edge of the hole where Khan had dropped, and there was a wall of sturdy, cloaked figures looking down at him like a party of grim reapers, Khan the very image of Death in a dark, heavy mantle, the hood gathered around his long neck. His black hair had grown longer at the crown, strands fallen to frame his elongated face, which was elegantly groomed and clean shaven. Years of survival didn’t diminish his regality.

Kirk wore his bravest face and took that one graciously granted breath. He paused only a matter of seconds to choose his words carefully.

“Your entire planet is in danger.”

The next thing he knew the air was pounded out of his lungs as his back hit the cold clay wall, the span of a sleeved arm across his chest and holding him in place.

“You swore to me that your Starfleet would never find us!” Khan thundered in his face.

Kirk gripped the pinning forearm tightly as it crushed him into the damp earth. “It’s not Starfleet that you’re in danger from!” he grunted out.

“For God’s sake, man!” McCoy barked out, daring to step nearer to the superhuman. “We’re here to warn you, not threaten you!”

“Your mere presence is a threat to me, doctor!” he sneered, never loosening his hold on Kirk. “This is a transgression that I might not forgive…” He paused, his harsh gaze returning to Kirk. “… without due explanation.”

“You’re not about to get any explanation from a man whose lungs you’re crushing.” McCoy spoke with surprising calm, but there was sweat collecting on his brow.

“Tell me succinctly then, Doctor McCoy…” he canted his head. “What is threatening us, if not you or Starfleet?”

“We don’t know.”

Khan leaned into Kirk’s collar bone.

“Khan…” Kirk huffed under the pressure. “… It’s a natural disaster… and it’s planetary. Either I can tell you now, where your people can hear… or we discuss it in private…”

Khan’s multicolored eyes narrowed, his head canting with scrutiny. “Then does Starfleet know you’re here?”

“No—Well, yes… Sort of.” Kirk winced as he began to sputter. Oxygen was getting scarce, and so were coherent thoughts. “It’s complicated… I can explain it in detail… if you’re willing to listen.”

Khan studied him for a moment. His calculating edge had not been softened by years of endurance on a wild planet. In fact, it may have even sharpened his acuity. Jim hoped it didn’t dull any mercy that he had in him.

Finally, Khan stepped back, releasing his hold on Kirk as his gaze flickered between the two Starfleet officers. Kirk took in a deep breath and resisted the urge to massage his probably bruised clavicle. He stared back fearlessly, though he found himself a little nervous about what judgment Khan was about to pass.

“You’re both invited to my home where we can discuss this further.”

That was not what Jim was expecting.

Khan gestured upward to his comrades, who read the explicit command. Within moments, the sturdy rope ladder uncoiled downward to hug the clay wall.

“If you would take the lead, doctor…”

Bones swallowed hard but held his valiant frown as he approached the ladder and began a clumsy ascent. Once the doctor reached the top, Kirk moved to follow. The moment his hand took hold of it, however, he was seized painfully on the bicep. Khan hovered aggressively close, but his words contradicted the apparent malice.

“Please don’t give me cause to kill you.”

Jim was momentarily stunned by the pleading in the augment’s voice. He spoke too quiet for anyone but the captain to hear, putting on all appearances of a threat. Maybe it was, but it didn’t sound like it. Khan knocked him out of his gaping when he pushed him roughly into the ladder, encouraging him to start climbing.

 

* * *

 

 

“Standard orbit, Mr. Sulu,” Spock gave the simple command as the shuttlecraft was flown nearer to the atmosphere of Ceti Alpha VI.

The planet below was a gray, rocky wasteland. The surface was purely made of jagged earth and whatever traces of water existed were not enough to form any visible bodies. Throughout their journey from the _Enterprise_ to the planet, Chekov’s anomalous readings came and went, never long enough in duration or strong enough in substance to be properly identified. It occurred often enough, however, that Spock assigned him to keep an especially close eye on it. Scarcity of evidence was not good cause for dismissal of it, after all. Sensors were appropriately adjusted as they went into orbit to scan the planet below them.

“The magnetic field in the center of the planet is still obscuring our sensor arrays…” Sulu sighed with annoyance. “We’re not getting much more than we had before.”

Spock was listening and acknowledging the helmsman’s report, but his attention was drawn to the images of the planet on the computer screen in front of him. Silently, the Vulcan diligently strengthened the magnification of the images. As the image cleared, a single brow quirked.

“Fascinating.”

That single word had Chekov popping out of his own chair and scurrying beside the first officer’s seat to peer at the screen curiously. Sulu, meanwhile, leaned hard on his side to also take a gander.

“Is that what I think it is?” Sulu squinted at the images.

“Eet looks like a quarry,” said Chekov.

“So, someone’s been to this planet before?” Sulu asked no one in particular.

“The systematic excavation of the rock would indicate as much,” Spock agreed. “The questions we now face are… How old is that quarry and are the creators of it still here?”

“Eet vouldn’t be ze first time that mining triggered a planetary combustion,” Chekov said excitedly as the clues began to surface.

“A single quarry does not indicate mining significant enough to cause any sort of geographic reaction, Mr. Chekov. I suggest you resist jumping to conclusions without enough evidence to support them.”

“Aye, sir.” Chekov still sounded excited.

“We will complete one orbit of the planet in which we will scan the surface for more quarries or other indicators of visitors to this planet. Once we know more about who is or isn’t on the planet, we can consider landing for a closer investigation.”

Spock sufficiently concealed any opinion on the situation, but he felt a contradictory tingle of excitement with a game afoot, and a sinking feeling of complication in the mystery of Ceti Alpha VI.


	6. Chapter 6

 

“ _Images show excavations on the planet_ _’s surface,_ ” Spock reported monotonously, though there was a hint of intrigue in his tone. “ _As far as our sensors can penetrate, the deepest site reaches approximately fifty-two point three meters._ ”

“ _Any sign of the machinery or energy that might have caused it?_ ” Kirk’s voice joined the transmission.

Uhura listened to the exchange after she had connected the two communicators, taking note of the reports and relieved every second that she could hear both men alive and well.

“ _Negative,_ ” Spock replied. “ _By all appearances this site is abandoned. That is, from what can be seen aboveground._ ”

Spock had a tendency to sound ominous and she could tell through the pause that Kirk was aware of it.

“ _Let me know what you find when you land._ ”

“ _Yes, captain. Captain!_ ” Spock spoke abruptly to keep the transmission open. “ _Have you made contact with the colony on Ceti Alpha V?_ ”

The Vulcan was careful not to name names on an open channel, but it was obvious to those involved that he was referring to Khan. There was another, longer pause from Kirk.

“ _…You could say that, Mr. Spock. We’ve had a very warm welcome and all’s well._ ”

“ _Pleased to hear it, captain_ _…_ ”

“ _We_ _’ll get in touch again later. Kirk out._ ”

He ended his transmission.

“ _Enterprise,_ ” Spock spoke to her now. “ _We will report the moment we are safely landed on the surface of Ceti Alpha VI. Stand By._ ”

“Leaving all communication channels open, commander,” Nyota confirmed.

Scotty had been in the captain’s chair listening in on the incoming reports from Kirk and Spock. “Good luck, Mr. Spock.”

“ _I appreciate the intended sentiment, Mr. Scott, although the wish for good luck is both superstitious and unnecessary._ ”

Scotty rolled his eyes. “Take it as ye like…”

“ _Spock out._ ”

The second transmission ended and Uhura peered over her shoulder to favor Scotty. “He meant ‘thank you’, I promise.”

The Scotsman swiveled enough to look at her, a smile appearing. “I’ll only believe it from yer lovely lips, lass.”

The flirtation shouldn’t have made her cheeks burn, but she didn’t hear a lot of that kind of talk these days. “Maybe you should focus on running the ship, Mr. Scott.” She made it sound like a threat, but couldn’t wipe the smile off her face.

“The cap’n calls me the ‘Miracle Worker’ for a reason, Ms. Uhura,” he said proudly, puffing out his chest beneath the red of his uniform. “If I cannae focus on more than one thing at a time, I’m not worthy o’ the title…”

“Sensors picking up traces of radiation,” the mechanized voice of science officer 0718 rang out.

Scotty’s spine straightened and he leaned forward in his seat, propping an elbow on his knee. “Radiation? From the _Enterprise_?”

“Negative,” 0713 replied.

“I’m reading the nearest trace of it,” Lt. Darwin spoke, keeping her eyes glued to the navigation console. “Nearest reading at… 24 kilometers, heading 23 mark 6.”

“That’s a bit too close for m’personal comfort…” Scotty murmured, his eyes narrowing at the screen. “It could be any number o’things. See if you can triangulate the source o’the radiation an’ get a more precise reading. If it moves, or if there’s more of it, there’s a good chance we’re not alone up here. Lt. Uhura, put us on yellow alert.”

“Aye, sir,” her hands moved meticulously over the switches, activating the yellow alert and opening a ship-wide channel. “Attention crew of the _Enterprise_ , condition Yellow Alert. Yellow Alert. Follow all mandatory preparations.” Once she shut off the intercom, she slipped away from her workstation and approached the command chair. “Scotty…” she said quietly, her eyes on viewscreen as it showed the curve of Ceti Alpha V’s surface below and the empty blackness of space. “You think there’s a Bird of Prey out there?”

“I’m no’ sure,” he answered honestly. “If the shuttle crew ‘as found a mining site nearby, we could very well be dealin’ with trespassing Romulans or Klingons an’ I don’t think they’ll be too keen on our findin’ it out. If they’re out there, they’re surely watchin’ our every move.”

Uhura’s heart thrummed harder in her chest. “Shouldn’t we at least warn Spock? That shuttle is practically defenseless.”

Scotty’s eyes lifted to her, immediately softening at her worry. “If ye can warn Mr. Spock without tippin’ off whoever might be out there, then go ahead. Maybe there’s no one out there, but I don’t want to let them know we’re on to them if there is.”

She nodded her understanding and hurried back to her console. “ _Enterprise_ to shuttle, come in.”

Nothing.

“Shuttle one, this is _Enterprise_ , do you read?”

Still nothing. She took a deep breath to keep herself calm. “If they’ve landed, the magnetic field could interfering…” she explained to Scotty, but mostly to herself. It was a sort of reassurance that their silence didn’t mean the worst.

“Keep on tryin’, lieutenant.”

And she did.

 

* * *

 

 

“ _Captain. Have you made contact with the colony on Ceti Alpha V?_ ”

Jim’s blue eyes shifted from the face of his communicator to Khan’s intense features as he hovered in close, his proximity and mere presence making the air feel thicker.

 “…You could say that, Mr. Spock. We’ve had a very warm welcome and all’s well.”

“ _Pleased to hear it, captain_ _…”_

“We’ll get in touch again later. Kirk out.” The communicator was snapped shut and put onto his belt for the first time since it was confiscated. “There. You know as much as I do.”

Khan nodded with a subtle show of satisfaction and finally stepped away, lowering himself to recline comfortably in a sturdy, wooden chair. The squareness of his shoulders, however, displayed some imposed authority in his relaxed posture.

They were inside of Khan’s home. It was impressively built, the exterior walls of indigenous wood having been insulated by thermo-concrete which was included in the supplies that Kirk had left them with seven years ago. The cabin itself was built atop an elevated foundation, keeping it firmly two feet above ground. In fact, all of the homes within the village were built elevated. It seemed odd to place such stately homes on posts and beams rather than the secure surface of the ground, Kirk thought. Perhaps there was wildlife they intended to keep out.

The interior of Khan’s home was decorated quite nicely with pelts, horns, fangs—numerous trophies that he had no doubt gained through some battle or another. There was a well-crafted hearth of stone on one end, in which Khan had already stoked up a fire upon their arrival. Beside it were the cooking tools and crudely made utensils for cooking and eating. It was here that Dr. McCoy planted himself in some attempt to get the chill out of his bones. The entirety of the place was divided between two rooms: one the foyer and the other Jim could only guess was the bedroom behind the drawn curtain. One wall seemed to serve as an armory where a spear, crossbow, quiver, and multiple blades for various uses hung cleaned and ready for use at a moment’s notice.

But there were also objects of leisure about. An unfinished chess game, a small shelf of antique books, and even stacks of paper that they had no doubt managed to manufacture themselves. The feminine touch wasn’t completely absent, either. A few colorful additions throughout the place consisted of dried flowers, which must have been out of season, and pieces of art displayed on the walls. Jim had taken to closely inspecting one particularly intimidating portrait done of Khan himself, his eyes almost made to glow against the rest of the image.

“Self-portrait?” Kirk asked curiously.

Khan smirked and shook his head. “You flatter me. I am not particularly skilled in the arts, as much as I appreciate them…” his eyes flickered to the artwork with some admiration. “My wife.”

Kirk didn’t know that Marla was a painter. But then, it occurred to him that Khan didn’t say his wife was Marla. “Your wife…” he repeated with uncertainty.

“Once Lieutenant McGivers,” Khan clarified, his head tilting as he immediately shifted his tone along with the conversation. “You should know, Kirk, that I have no intention of sounding an alarm until I have sufficient reason to think there is a threat to my people. It has taken years of toil and suffering for us to reach this level of peace and we have no want of fears to keep us awake at night…” He spoke calmly, but sharply. “Thus far, you’ve only said that Ceti Alpha VI is _predicted_ to explode. Obviously there is no current data on the planet, so where comes such a conclusion?”

Had Khan always sounded so lofty in his speech? Kirk couldn’t remember. But the augment was asking a very difficult question.

“That’s even harder to explain…” Jim said truthfully. He finally seated himself on a small stool not far from McCoy, trying to take in some of the fire’s warmth as well. “You know about the temporal agencies that Starfleet has, especially after the Nero thing. In Nero’s universe, Ceti Alpha VI explodes in 2267 for unknown reasons and this planet is turned into a wasteland. Since Starfleet thinks you’re dead, we’re here under the pretense of surveying Ceti Alpha VI. If Starfleet does find out about you, it wouldn’t be the first time we’ve come across unregistered human colonies. In our five-year mission we’ve discovered countless earth-like planets that are uninhabited. We could transport you and all of your people to whichever you find most suitable.”

He intentionally left out anything to do with the other Spock.  For the aged Vulcan’s sake, Jim wasn’t going to advertise his insight into possible futures to an ex-warlord.

“Ours is the alternate timeline, there is no certainty such an event will happen,” Khan said simply and almost patronizingly.

“You really want to take that risk?”

“I do,” Khan didn’t so much as blink. “And I will, Kirk. We will not be displaced again so easily. We are meant to rule a fixed civilization, not scrape the bottom of history books as nomads unworthy of remembrance.”

“Is this about your place in history or your people’s survival?” McCoy finally chimed in with incredulity. “You might not get to have both.”

“Show me that my planet is in danger—then we can discuss relocation.”

“You’ll have your proof when I do, Khan.” Kirk said curtly. “I don’t know what else to say to you. All we can do is wait on Spock and his science team. If you’d rather we do our waiting on the _Enterprise_ …”

The door suddenly flew open and standing breathlessly at the entrance was Marla McGivers. She was flushed, undoubtedly from a sprint across the village. Unlike Khan and the other augments, the past 7 years were more evident on her normal human physique. She was much thinner, but not in a sickly way. It was more muscle and labor that had hardened her, her fair skin a little more tan and freckled, her red hair made to glow from sun exposure.

“I don’t believe it…” she breathed, wide chestnut eyes dancing between the Starfleet uniforms as if they were ghosts.

Khan was the first one on his feet and Kirk and Bones followed suit. Jim offered her a genuine smile.

“It’s good to see you, Marla.”

A smile flashed before she managed to reduce it to something a little more demure. But her excitement in seeing them was really unexpected after she had worked so hard to get away from Starfleet in the past.

“Everyone’s in an uproar about you being here,” she spoke rapidly. “Someone even said you brought a fleet. What’s happening? Why are you here?”

“There’s no fleet,” Kirk assured her. “Just the _Enterprise._ I came here to—”

“He presumed to check on our progress to be sure we weren’t in need of assistance,” Khan said abruptly. “He has an admirable sense of responsibility.”

Khan’s eyes gleamed with the lie as he met Kirk’s gaze. Jim wasn’t sure if he should refute it or go along with it. He could understand keeping it from the rest of the colony, but his own wife?

A small face then peered in through the door that was ajar behind Marla. Large, curious eyes of a boy fell on Kirk, awe appearing at the sight of something so new. This boy, who appeared to be about 10 years old, had surely never seen Starfleet in his life and yet showed no fear.

Kirk smiled and nodded to him. “Hello there.”

Marla finally took notice of the child. “Joachim, go outside, please...”

“No, no…” Khan motioned him in with a single curl of his fingers. “Come, Joachim.”

There was no hesitation as the boy shimmied in through the door. He was lean but strongly built. His eyes never left Kirk and McCoy as he moved to stand at the arm of Khan’s chair. Marla, meanwhile, shut the door to block out the cold wind.

The questions were piling up in Kirk’s mind. “Is he, uh…” the half-inquiry was loaded with implication.

“Ours?” Khan finished for him. “He is not. You may remember my second in command, Joaquin. This is his son and my protégé.”

“He’s my brightest student,” Marla said with a proud smile as she approached her husband’s chair as well. Her fingers ruffled the boy’s hair playfully. “I’ve taken on the role of educating the children.”

“Not just history lessons, I’m assuming?” Kirk remembered her focus in Starfleet.

She chuckled. “Not _just._ But we wanted to make sure they’re well-informed on where we come from so that they can understand why they’re here.”

Jim had a sneaking feeling a few things would be left out of the history lessons. Khan’s rampage against the Federation, for example.

“You’re from outer space,” Joachim finally spoke up, his voice completely lacking in shyness or fear. “Lord Khan tells me about space travel. Have you been to many places? Have you ever seen a quasar? Or a nebula? What is it really like to see a black hole if you _can_ see it?”

The more the boy questioned the more the edge of Khan’s mouth pulled into an affectionate smile. He made no attempt to silence him.

“Those stripes on your sleeve mean you’re the captain, don’t they?” Joachim pointed at his wrists. “How big is your ship? Is he your first officer?”

“I wonder if he ever breathes,” McCoy scoffed lightly. “No, m’boy, I’m the Chief Medical Officer. And, yes, he is my captain.”

Joachim’s eyes then squinched. “Shouldn’t the captain and Chief Medical Officer stay on the ship and send a landing party instead? Wouldn’t that be less reckless?” His question turned to Khan now. “Does that mean he doesn’t trust his crew?”

Kirk’s amusement quickly died when the kid’s questions were starting to hit below the belt. McCoy and Khan, however, seemed to be enjoying it.

“Smart kid,” the doctor grinned.

“He’s quickly mastering both chess and physics,” Khan gestured to the in-progress chess game made of marked stones. “His skill at strategy is quite remarkable.”

“Of course he’s learning from a master,” Marla glanced to Khan coyly before returning to her bragging to Kirk. “But Joachim is also a very compassionate child. I’ve never seen him do anything out of malice.”

Jim shifted uncomfortably. A genius, good-natured child under the wing of Khan Noonien Singh didn’t sound like the beginning of something good.

“His father,” Khan added, “will be returning around dusk with the hunting party. You’re welcome to stay, captain, and join us for a non-replicated dinner.”

“I’ve gotten pretty good at roasting the local meats,” Marla said with light boasting, in an attempt to hide the hopefulness that showed in her eyes.

Exchanging glances with McCoy, Jim pondered briefly and nodded. “We accept. Can’t do anything but wait on Spock anyway.”

Joachim’s face lit up and he turned eagerly towards Khan. “May I tell everyone the spacemen are staying for dinner?”

“I’d trust no one else to the task,” Khan replied simply, his fingertips turning the boy by his shoulder towards the door. “Go on.”

Joachim bolted out of the cabin, leaving the door wide open behind him and letting the autumn chill in. Marla sighed, but smiled.

“I’ll go with him to make sure everyone knows you’re just here for a check-up…” she lingered for a moment, however, her eyes levelling on Kirk. “It really is wonderful to see you again, Captain Kirk. And you, doctor… I hope there aren’t any hard feelings about the time I pointed a phaser at you.”

“I’ve had enough people point things at me that I don’t take it too personal,” Bones shrugged.

Marla gave one last lovely smile and went briskly out the door, closing it on her way out. Khan stared after her, his sharp gaze dimming a bit as a dark cloud seemed to fall over him.

“Well, if we’re going to be here awhile,” said McCoy. “If I could get your permission, Khan, I’d be interested in gathering medical readings of your people. With the rate at which the children are growing and the number of years you’d been living here, we could learn a lot by comparing new readings to the old ones I collected years back.”

“I would be fascinated to know your findings, doctor. You have my permission.”

Bones lifted his chin with mild surprise, but more so excitement. Picking up his tricorder, he made a quick and quiet exit. Kirk, however, felt compelled to stay despite the fact that he suddenly found himself alone with his old nemesis in a surreally domestic setting.

“She sorely missed your world…” Khan barely spoke above a whisper, his eyes drifting back towards the closed door as if he expected it to open at any moment. “Though Marla is far too proud and generous to ever say it to me. These past years have been difficult for her more than anyone else…”

Jim listened attentively as Khan volunteered the insight. The augment still loved her dearly, that much was certain. But Jim could only imagine the kinds of trials they had to endure on Ceti Alpha V.

“Any particular reason why you didn’t tell her the planet might burn up and die?” Jim asked with a little less sympathy than intended.

“I would think it was self-evident…” Khan’s whisper rumbled.

“No, it’s not…” the captain challenged. “Don’t worry, I’m not here to step on your toes if I don’t have to. This is your territory and I respect that. But do you really want to spring it on her at the last moment? She’s Starfleet, she can understand—”

“ _She is not Starfleet_ ,” Khan seethed, his eyes firing onto Kirk. “You’re mistaken if you think my omission is to do with underestimating her. This world _may not_ be in danger and we can continue our way of life here. This is our home. We’ve come to an understanding long ago that should she _need_ to know she will.”

“You’re telling me she consented to let you keep secrets from her?” Jim asked skeptically.

“Extreme circumstances require extreme arrangements.”

Something gnawed in Kirk’s gut and he stared at Khan for a beat. “Is there something going on here that I should know about?”

Khan stared back, his piercing gaze steady and condescending as a smirk appeared and he made a point of saying nothing. His expression said it all: _Mind your own business._

Jim sighed. “Fine. But if you’re keeping anything from me that endangers my crew…” He trailed off to let Khan fill in the implication of the warning.

“Oh, captain… All these years between us and you only have a fragment of a threat for me?” Khan teased. “After all the blood we drew from each other?”

“I’m not your Aufidius…” Jim murmured.

Khan’s eyes lit up, his lips parting with some surprise that Jim made a flawless Shakespearean reference. It would be a lie to say Kirk didn’t feel a surge of pride to impress the augment.

“You recommended a few years’ worth of reading to me, remember?”

“I’ve often wondered if you’ve read a word of any of it,” Khan said with genuine marvel. “I can only hope you’ve taken as much from those works as I have.”

“I’ve learned a lot, but I doubt we took away the same things,” Jim finally smirked back.

“Perhaps not… But it’s a rare privilege to share a repertoire.” The ex-despot’s face softened a bit, just briefly, before he finally rose gracefully to his feet. “Come. I’ll show you the compound. I’d be remiss in my duties as a host to keep you here.”

“Won’t lie, I’m curious to see around this place,” Jim began to follow him out the door, but mentally added _So long as I don’t end up in the Pit again._


	7. Chapter 7

 

Sulu had no difficulty in landing the shuttlecraft on the barren surface of Ceti Alpha VI. They touched down on the sunny side of the planet, since it provided the most light and was not near enough to the star to pose a threat—at least no threat that environmental suits couldn’t protect them from. Whatever dangerous light waves penetrated the thin atmosphere, they were no match for Starfleet equipment. The shuttlecraft was powered down a few kilometers from the edge of a quarry and the three crewmen suited up for the on-foot expedition.

Spock and Chekov focused on preparing the science apparatuses they would need for their readings while Sulu, who was geared up but not yet in his helmet, leaned over the pilot controls.

“ _Enterprise_ , come in. This is Shuttle One. We are not receiving any transmissions but we’ve landed successfully. We’ll report again at 0200, according to the ship’s chronometer.”

After several failed attempts at making contact with the ship, they finally resolved to broadcast a recording every few minutes—just in case. Investigating the planet was paramount and Spock intended to be economic with their time. The sooner they found something, the sooner action could be taken to either take or leave Khan and his people. He preferred the latter. There was also an itch of curiosity within the Vulcan to learn the origin of the excavations.

When all three men were satisfactorily geared up, Spock led the way out of the vessel and onto the rocky ground of the planet. The uneven surface made it difficult for even Spock to keep a graceful gait as they hiked towards the open maw of the quarry. The quarry itself was a stark contrast to the planet’s jagged natural landscape; its edges were all impressively cut, smoothly forming near perfect 90-degree angles. Spock stepped to the edge of the excavation and carefully lowered himself onto one knee. The suit was confining, but not completely inflexible. Chekov wandered away behind him, his own tricorder warbling away as he followed along the edge of the excavation.

“This quarry has been cut by lasers,” Spock could tell by the way the rock had been sliced and melted. “Perhaps a suborbital mining vessel…”

“Commander,” Sulu’s voice came in crisp and clear through the helmet’s communicator. “There’s an elevator over there that goes down into the quarry. I can’t tell how far down it goes, though…”

The helmsman was a few feet away, peering down the perfectly straight edge of artificial cliff. Beside him was the elevator. It was a small metal box whose sides stood only as tall as Spock’s hips. It hardly adhered to any safety regulations for the average humanoid. Spock was on his feet and at Sulu’s side to follow his line of sight. The track that the elevator was attached to scaled the wall below it, reaching down and out of sight as it disappeared within the blue shadows of the excavation.

Chekov joined them, his eyes round as he, too, looked downward. He gulped. “Ay,yi, yi…”

There was a small panel within the lift that caught Spock’s eye and without a word the Vulcan stepped onto the metal box. It was sturdy, the platform beneath his feet firm and supportive of a great deal of weight—much more than any singular Vulcan. Chekov and Sulu decidedly remained on the rough but stable surface of rock as they watched the first officer examine the inside of the elevator. He was on his knee again, to closely examine the control panel.

“Fascinating.”

“Sir?” Sulu prodded respectfully. He no doubt hoped for an explanation to avoid having to look for himself.

“The serial stamp on here is Tellarite,” Spock explained. “And the technology itself is recognizable as such. Their methods are often crude, but sufficient. Much like their skills of argument…”

“Vell, zat answers zat,” Chekov chirped. “Now ve know who vas here!”

“Not quite, lieutenant…” Spock said calmly. “The technology is Tellarite, but this control console has been upgraded with newer, different components… Tellarite equipment is made to accommodate for their hoof-like appendages. These have been altered for hands with five fingers.” With the thick point of his glove, he pushed a release button on the side of the panel. The casing swung open and when he peered inside a single brow popped up. “As I suspected. These circuits are Starfleet issue.”

“What?” Sulu scoffed and stepped onto the elevator without hesitation. Leaning forward, he looked over the Vulcan’s shoulder. “Do we know how old those kinds of circuits are? Are they even functional?”

“Meester Scott vould be a God send right now…” mumbled Chekov from the safety of the ground.

“I am nearly as familiar with circuitry as Mr. Scott,” Spock said with some insult. “These kinds of circuits have been in use since 2242.” Lifting his tricorder from its sling over his shoulder, he took a reading of the device. “They are active, which means there is some sort of power generator down below.”

Rising to his feet, the Vulcan looked between his comrades. “Mr. Sulu, you will return to the shuttle and report our findings to the _Enterprise_. Mr. Chekov, you and I will investigate this quarry further.”

“Wha—Down there?” Chekov’s voice reached a higher pitch as he reluctantly pointed towards his boots.

Spock canted his head slightly. “Is there a problem, lieutenant?”

Chekov sighed, his arms dangling on each side of him. “No, sir… No problem at all…”

Sulu stepped off the elevator to make room for Chekov to step on. He gave them both a firm nod, but gave the young Russian an apologetic look. “Be careful.”

Spock turned the dial to the slowest speed of the elevator’s descent (since there were three settings) and the box clanked softly before sliding down with a low vibration. The ride was smooth, which indicated it was well-maintained. He was sure they would find something down below, but what he couldn’t be sure.

 

* * *

 

               

The questions were relentless. Everyone in the community found their way to Marla after they heard Joachim’s excited announcement that they had guests from outer space.

_So they really are from Starfleet?_

_Have they come to capture us? Should we get ready for a fight?_

_Will Lord Khan kill them?_

_Why hasn_ _’t Khan killed them?_

_Shouldn_ _’t we stop that doctor from scanning us?_

_What exactly did Kirk say?_

She answered as best she could and as carefully as she knew how. She didn’t know why they were there, but something Kirk said made her believe they weren’t just checking in.

_What exactly did Kirk say?_

He said they couldn’t do anything but wait on Spock. Which led her to wonder where the Vulcan first officer was and what he was doing. There were times when she allowed Khan his secrets—for her own sanity—but this was something she suspected she wanted to be in on.

Evening was well on its way to becoming night, and after following Joachim all over the place to allay the fears he stirred up with his herald, she took his hand and began walking him home. His father was still out leading the hunt, but Marla knew his mother was home finishing up her own chores for the day.

“Do you think I’ll be able to see their spaceship?” Joachim asked eagerly.

“They’re only here visiting, I don’t think they’ll be giving any tours of a military vessel…”

“You told me yourself that Starfleet was more about exploring than war…”

“Either way, you would have to ask Captain Kirk.” She already knew the answer, but it was his ship after all.

She left the boy with his mother and made her way towards home, which wasn’t very far. Her gait slowed, however, when she caught sight of her husband on the other side of the compound talking with Captain Kirk. It was truly a bizarre thing to see. They were civil, the past wars between them completely impersonal and forgotten. She silently prayed this truly was the friendly visit that Khan claimed it was.

“Mind if I walk with you?” The gentlemanly Southern drawl tore her eyes away from Khan and Kirk and onto Dr. McCoy.

“Not at all,” she offered a smile and picked up her pace for a more normal stride. “Did you find anything interesting, doctor?”

“I think so…” he said thoughtfully, one hand clutching at the tricorder on his shoulder. “Won’t really know ‘til I get the data back to the lab.”

It wasn’t long before they were at the house and Marla entered first. “Come on in while I get ready for dinner. It gets cold out there fast as soon as the sun sets.”

McCoy was glad to come in out of the wind. He made certain the door was securely latched behind him and ambled to the hearth, where Marla put on another log.

“So why are you guys _really_ here?” She looked askance to him as she stoked the fire with a crudely made poker and saw McCoy’s eyes bulge.

“Y’heard the captain. Just checking in…”

“I heard him…” she put the poker away and let her cloak slip off her shoulders. She put it on a mounted hook in the wall near the door then looked back towards the hearth where she left the medical officer. “And I heard Khan deliberately interrupt him to give me a lie. I’d like to think that neither of them believe I’m stupid. At least let me know if I should be worried.”

Obviously if it was something she should be worried about they wouldn’t be keeping it from her. But she needed to hear someone say it. McCoy’s hand, meanwhile, fidgeted with his tricorder and she felt a twinge of guilt for putting him on the spot.

He took a deep breath. “All I can say is that we hope it’s nothing. Sorry, m’dear, I don’t want to disclose more than I should. Although, for what it’s worth, I believe that husband of yours should be telling you himself.”

“He will when I ask.” She wasn’t as confident as she sounded. Though Khan was honest when she demanded it, there were times when she regretted hearing his cold truths.

“I hope you don’t mind my asking…” the shift in his tone indicated a change in topic. “Out o’ professional curiosity… why don’t you and Khan have any little ones of your own?”

She knew it wasn’t his intention, but the question shot a small, sharp pain through her chest.

“We’ve tried,” she answered simply, focusing her attention on tidying up the small area that served as a kitchen. She needed the place tidy and ready when the hunting party returned with meat, after all. “I suppose were still trying. He says it’s not unusual for an augment and a normal human to have incompatible DNA. Or else there’s something wrong with me.”

Her voice broke at the end, betraying her level tone. So she stopped talking as she busied her hands in retrieving a cast iron skillet that one of the colonists had made. But McCoy was moving towards her, his medical tricorder in his hand.

“May I?”

She hesitantly looked at the device. It could answer all the questions she had been asking for the past 7 years. She swallowed hard and nodded. The tricorder whirred and beeped as he scanned her, his acute eyes taking in the readings with a concentrative frown. The longer she watched his face, desperate for some clue, the more her fears grew. Then, his brow smoothed.

“You are in perfect health and extremely fertile.”

She released a long breath that she hadn’t even realized she was holding in. But it wasn’t necessarily relief.

“I don’t know if that makes me feel better…”

“What it means,” McCoy’s voice became firm with reassurance, “is that there’s always hope. Even in this Godless universe, miracles do still happen. Don’t you give up hope, because I’ve seen no medicine more powerful than the mind.” He tapped at his own temple.

All the rumors of Dr. McCoy being a grump have never seemed so false. There was a genuine heart of gold beating under that cantankerous exterior.

“Thank you,” she said quietly, feeling the tears form in her eyes in spite of herself. “It’s been awhile since I’ve heard anyone say anything so… encouraging.”

McCoy hummed and clasped the device behind him. “Can’t say it surprises me that Khan isn’t the glass-half-full sort…”

“He’s got an optimism all his own, trust me. It’s very rare that I’ve ever seen him ready to give up. Of course, sometimes I wish he would…”

The doctor grunted with a hint of amusement. “I think I know what ya mean. I can name a few pigheaded acquaintances of my own.”

She chuckled. “Speaking of which, did Kirk actually complete that five-year mission?”

“Yes, ma’am,” McCoy gave a firm and rather proud nod. “Looking back, I’m convinced he’s the only one who could have. There was once this strange colored cube that we came across and Jim came up with the most insane bluff I’d ever heard of…”

McCoy went on to tell a bizarre tale of a terrifying cube and Kirk’s invention of what he called the Corbomite Maneuver. She was intrigued to hear just this one of hundreds of adventures. It made her feel nostalgic for her days in the service, and for the first time in a long time she felt a pin prick of regret for choosing Ceti Alpha V.


	8. Chapter 8

This mission was beginning to feel more like shore leave to Jim. The undercurrent of tension and suspicion never lifted among the augments as Kirk walked past them, side by side with Khan, but it did seem to lessen with each hour that passed. Khan was very informative and unabashedly boastful in the colony’s accomplishments. Kirk could see the respect that the other augments had for their leader in the simple nods they would offer him in passing, some even displaying full bows from the waist. And Khan, in all of his pomposity and ego, regarded them with cool affection.

The sun was setting, long shadows stretching through the compound against the last orange light of day. The colonists were all busy with their own tasks, some carrying in water for the night, others already beginning to light torches that were placed throughout the community. Jim occasionally caught sight of Bones, who ambled along from person to person, using his country doctor charm to ease their suspicions as he took tricorder readings. The adults had had some exposure to Starfleet technology, so they were quickly accustomed to the device. The children, however, had never seen such things in their lives and were more amazed than frightened.

When silence fell in the midst of Khan’s bragging, Jim couldn’t help addressing his own curiosity. “Those crossbows that were pointed at us… You built those yourselves?”

Khan smirked. “Hardly difficult. There are those of us—myself included—who are quite adept at mechanical engineering. The design of the weapons was the simplest task. Finding the materials to build them from, however, took considerable time and effort. There are plenty of trees here, some more durable than others… We needed the tools to cut them and shape them… The process of metalwork is an ongoing challenge for our designated blacksmiths. We’ve all the fundamental knowledge of how to turn raw ore into a usable metal, but none of us have had practice in it. It wasn’t what you would call a common trade in our time, let alone yours. But trial and error proves the best teacher and we are still exploring our world and all that it has to offer.”

By this time, they were approaching a well that had been dug at one end of the compound. It was made of neatly stacked rocks, a casing of stone suspended over the mouth by a rope and pulley to cover it when not in use. There were five people around it at the moment, chatting quietly amongst themselves as they waited for their chance to draw from it. Upon Khan and Kirk’s arrival, however, they fell quiet. Their eyes were fixed on Jim and for the first time he felt a surge of threat towards him. That was all the more reason why he put on a friendly smile and nodded towards them.

Khan clearly noticed the collective animosity and came to a gradual stop, his head turning to regard each and every one of them. One by one, those who fell under his stern gaze looked away and went about their business quietly.

Except for one.

She was extremely beautiful and athletic, the bump of her pregnant belly just noticeable enough through the layers of fabric she was wrapped in. She would have been even more attractive had it not been for the ferocious scowl on her face and directed at him. Without a word she fearlessly strolled towards them. When Kirk was sure she had something to say, she tore her eyes from him to land a long, hard glare on Khan as she walked by in silence. Khan only halfway regarded her, his step never faltering as he walked on.

Kirk followed and waited until they had the discretion of distance before speaking quietly.

“Who was that?”

“A loose end,” Khan replied simply. “Kati is a recent widow and a liability… until she has that child.”

A chill ran through Kirk at all the possible implications in that statement. “It’s none of my business, but what happened?”

“Order was threatened and I restored it.” Khan’s ambiguous answer marked the end of the discussion.

“Listen, Khan…” Kirk stepped in front of him, to pause their walking. “I don’t want our presence here to instigate anything among your people. I can only imagine what they think about us and there is no reason for us to stay here. I can contact you from space when I have something report.”

“Such the peacekeeper,” Khan said with amusement, though it didn’t show in his face. “Their prejudices have been well established with or without you here. It’s nothing I can’t control.”

“Yeah, but—”

“You are _my_ guest, not theirs,” Khan raised his voice just enough to silence the captain. “I know you can understand a leader’s duty to be nothing if not confident and authoritative. To be human is to be weak and so I have not had the luxury of candidness with my people…” His voice dropped low, loud enough only for Kirk to hear. “Over the years, every conversation has been a controlled, strained, meticulously monitored performance of my superiority… We left Earth because we could not tolerate the existence of the average human. If we could not control them or eradicate them, we would leave them for a world of our own.”

“Which you’ve gotten,” Kirk interjected confusedly. “From where I stand you’re all doing really well. Better than well, actually, you’re thriving and progressing. Why would anyone want to challenge the order here?”

Even beneath the thick layers of cloaks, Kirk could see Khan’s chest rise and fall with a heavy sigh. “Because our ideal civilization depends upon the absolute absence of inferior beings… And I married one.”

Whatever friction existed between Khan and his people now had a logical source, even if it was cruel and unjustified. Poor Marla was a perpetual outsider. What made this moment even more painful was Khan’s willingness—or last resort—to confide in him.

“It’s against my better judgment,” Jim changed the subject, “but we can stay until we hear from Spock. Only because I know Bones would kill me for stopping him before he’s done getting as much data as possible.”

Khan’s attention was fixed on the edge of the forest in the distance. The trees and their shadows were beginning to blend together as the light of day quickly faded, leaving the sky a gradient of purple and a swelling blackness of night. By all appearances, Khan wasn’t even listening. But Jim could see that his promise to stay made those hard lines soften just a little.

“Joaquin should be returning with the hunting party shortly,” he commented distractedly. “Without the sun, it will get cold quickly. I suggest we return to the comfort of my home.”

Jim didn’t even realize he had been clutching his arms more tightly around himself as the cold seeped in through his field jacket. “Not going to argue with you there...”

By Khan’s lead, they walked through the compound. Less and less of the colonists were visible as they began to retreat into their homes. One woman was herding four children into their home, all of them clearly her own. Khan suddenly stopped walking, his eyes skyward. Jim blinked and also looked up.

“There.” The word rumbled out of Khan as if it had infinite meanings. A long white finger pointed at the first and only visible star in the sky, which was actually too large to be a star, but too small to be a moon. “There is the axe that is waiting to fall.”

“Ceti Alpha VI,” Kirk looked at it with wonder. “I didn’t think you could see it from here.”

“I’ve looked at it many times, thinking of it as little more than the sixth and lesser planet of the system. Now I see it that it isn’t a planet it all. It’s an albatross.”

               

* * *

 

 

“Have ye made contact with the shuttle yet, lieutenant?”

“Not yet, commander…” Uhura sighed.

Scotty nodded solemnly and swiveled the captain’s chair to face towards the viewscreen again. “Any more traces of radiation?”

“They haven’t gone away, sir,” said Darwin. “It’s—”

“ _Klingons_!” Leslie barked out. “They’ve locked weapons on us!”

“Shields! Evasive maneuvers, Leslie!”

The bridge exploded in activity as every station lit up, all personnel animated with alarm. After de-cloaking, a Klingon Bird of Prey now drifted fearlessly towards them on the viewscreen, its rust-colored hull visibly battle scarred. A burst of light illuminated its nose as the disruptor fired two successive shots. Leslie’s hands worked frantically over the helm controls and the _Enterprise_ droned as its thrusters pushed it hard to starboard. But the Klingons were too close.  Both shots hit. The starship jolted with the first and rumbled on from the second. The red alert wailed throughout the ship, the screens lighting up to indicate the shields were being raised.

Scotty held on tight to the arms of his chair, though the impact of the initial strikes left his ears ringing.

“Sneaky bastards! Mr. Leslie, attack pattern Sigma I. Lock phasers onto their nacelles. If we can slow ‘em down, they can’t fly circles ‘round us…”

“Aye, sir!”

“Uhura, hail them. It leaves a bad taste in m’mouth t’say it, but we may be able t’use some diplomacy here if there’s been a misunderstandin’.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Meanwhile, be ready t’fire on my command…”

Scotty watched the viewscreen with intently narrowed eyes as the Bird of Prey cut nimbly through space. It didn’t look like it was maneuvering for another strike. It was swooping nearer to the atmosphere of Ceti Alpha V.

“What are they up to…?” Scotty quietly began to question, but he trailed off when Leslie’s attention dropped to his console.

“Commander, they just beamed something down to the planet’s surface!”

“Registering fifty Klingon life readings on the planet,” science officer 0718 announced mechanically.

 

* * *

 

Khan was just approaching the door of his home when a high ringing shrilled from behind, not in one spot, but filling the length of the compound. Kirk turned to see silhouettes of light solidifying into a crowd of humanoid figures, all of them holding weapons. Those were bat’leths.

“Klingons!” He shouted the alarm.

No sooner had he said it did the troop erupt in a spray of disruptor fire, shots blasting into the houses and a few people who were standing in front of them. The Klingons spread out in all directions, a thorough sweep that could only mean intended annihilation.

The augments poured from their homes armed with their best weapons, including Khan. He had only disappeared for a matter of seconds before he emerged with a machete in one hand, a scythe in the other. The machete was put into Kirk’s hand in passing as he charged headlong into the alien squadron.

Sounds of disruptor fire, clashing blades, painful screams, and war cries filled the night. Khan vanished into the madness and Kirk had only gotten a glimpse of Marla in the doorway of her home, crossbow raised and firing out at the invaders. Khan had left her with the long range weapon, to keep her armed but away from danger, no doubt.

Jim had no time to wish he had a phaser. The Klingons had spotted his Starfleet uniform, which stood out like beacon, and he heard his name hacked out in the hostile dialect. A few disruptors fired in his direction, missing him by a hair as he dropped to the ground and threw himself into an evasive roll. A loud command was spat out by one Klingon and the firing stopped (at least towards him). When Jim took on a ready crouch, the machete in hand, he noticed a Klingon charging at him, bat’leth raised over his head. The Klingon clearly claimed the prize of James T. Kirk’s head.

The Klingon was upon him so suddenly that Jim could only raise his own weapon to block the bat’leth as it came down to cut him in two. The machete hooked beneath one of the curved blades of the bat’leth, and the sheer force flatted Jim onto his back, knocking the wind out of him. His arms trembled as every ounce of strength was put into keeping that Klingon’s weapon at bay.

He heard the snap of a crossbow and the Klingon roared in pain. An arrow jutted out of his side, but it wasn’t enough to get him off of Jim. In fact, it only seemed to enrage him further. Beneath the well-used helmet, Jim could see the Klingon’s teeth bared. The bat’leth pushed down, the point of one blade cutting clean into Jim’s shoulder. He could feel the edge grind across the bone of his clavicle and he couldn’t hold back the scream.

Another arrow hit the Klingon. This time it was enough for Jim and his adrenaline-fueled desperation to shove him back and kick him off. The Klingon tumbled, but before he could recover, Jim drove the whole of the machete’s blade between the armor at the Klingon’s stomach. The Klingon fell, squirmed briefly, and was dead.

The sounds of battle continued. His vision blurred a bit as he looked out into the night. By the flashes of light from the disruptors, he could see the bodies lying around. Some human, but most of them Klingon. Walls that had been blown through by the disruptors were already crumbling, a few ignited into flames. Then, one disruptor rifle stood out amongst the others. It was firing back at the Klingons, taking them out so mercilessly and meticulously that Jim was overwhelmed by a feeling of déjà vu. Khan had confiscated the rifle and had turned it back on them.

Jim left the machete where it was—sticking out of the dead Klingon like a barber’s pole—and instead pulled the disruptor from the corpse’s holster. The weapon weighed a ton in his hand, and though he was lightheaded, he pushed himself onto his feet. He had only gotten as far as one step, however, when he teetered and stumbled back. An arm wrapped around his back and held him up.

“Jim! You alright?”

It was McCoy. Regardless of the question, he was trying to lead Kirk towards the safety of the house. But the captain resisted and tried to wriggle out of the doctor’s support.

“I’m fine, Bones… Go help the wounded…”

“ _You_ _’re_ wounded, you idiot!”

“Forget it,” he snapped. There was a battle going on and he wasn’t about to sit it out.

Finally pulling free from his friend’s grip, he charged the weapon and moved towards the chaos ahead. He opened fire on whatever Klingon fell within his bleary sights. More than once, however, he had to remove his finger from the trigger when he couldn’t differentiate between a Klingon and an augment. McCoy, meanwhile, angrily followed orders and brought his medical kit to any augment who was on the ground, dead or wounded.

His field jacket concealed it well, but Jim could feel his own blood coating his tunic and sticking to him down the length of his torso. The pain that ebbed from it throbbed and seared throughout his body. His vision was getting awfully dark. Removing his hand from its grip on the open wound, he took out his communicator.

“ _Enterprise!_ We’re under attack! Beam down reinforcements!”

The communicator crackled back, but no response came through.

“ _Enterprise,_ do you read?”

A wave of shouts suddenly rose from the battle, and the remaining Klingons were quickly dropping. Blinking hard, Jim forced his focus. There was a new crowd of augments plowing the invaders down, their weapons gleaming. It was Joaquin and the hunting party!

The disruptor fire stopped and everything was dark and silent.


	9. Chapter 9

Spock calculated that they had been spelunking for at least two hours in the carved out tunnels. There were some floor lights that guided the way through the maze of passageways and as a cautious choice Spock followed them. If there was anyone in this mining facility, the lit walkways would take him and Mr. Chekov to them. Tunnel after tunnel, however, and there was no one in sight. The display on the helmets indicated that the air in the tunnels was breathable, no doubt from an artificial environment created with shielding. But the stability of the caves themselves was questionable, so Spock advised that their helmets stay on. Breathable air would do little to protect a bare head from a falling boulder.

“Zis place reminds me of the cave from zat Russian story,” Chekov’s voice came through the helmet’s communicator as he followed close behind the Vulcan. “You know, the one about a young serf who finds zis magic lamp and—”

“In the unlikely scenario that I find myself desirous of a misappropriated Earth folktale, Mr. Chekov, I shall inform you immediately.” Spock didn’t so much as pause in his walk through the tunnels, looking ahead into the blackness as it was edged with the small lights.

“Aye, commander…” Chekov sighed heavily but understood Spock’s message loud and clear. “Are you sure zis place isn’t deserted, Mr. Spock?”

“If it is then it has only recently been deserted and so suddenly that the power generator has not been shut off.”

“Couldn’t ve broadcast a call to whoever might be here and see if they respond?” Chekov suggested with a high pitch of helpfulness.

“Negative. The magnetic interference surrounding this planet renders communication far too unreliable...”               

A flurry of footfalls suddenly echoed at them, and before they knew it, Spock and Chekov were closed in on both sides, trapped by pointed phasers. Carrying the weapons were security men and women in Starfleet uniform, none of them in environmental suits.

“You are trespassing without authorization!” one officer bellowed.

Spock calmly held up his hands, one of which held his tricorder, and he quirked a brow. “We received no notification that this planet required clearance.”

“Were you sent here by Starfleet?” the man asked skeptically.

“We were sent here by the Vulcan Science Academy, as _authorized_ by Starfleet.” Spock felt the need to be more specific.

The mention of the Vulcan Science Academy made the man roll his eyes. It seemed this was not news. “All right you two. We’ll have to detain you until this is cleared up.”

He motioned for the other officers to lower their weapons, and though they all remained armed, they began to relax. Half of the security outfit was dismissed, the rest surrounding Spock and Chekov to lead them to their place of detainment, as per security regulations. Spock caught sight of Chekov’s face, the youth looking quite alarmed even though he gave a valiant effort to conceal it.

Spock himself was calm. There was more than a simple authorization discrepancy going on here, he was sure of it. This place was intentionally shrouded, and since Starfleet was not above secrecy, they may have interloped on a classified location. If so, then even more questions were raised regarding the close proximity of Ceti Alpha V and its inhabitants. The Vulcan was as wary as he was curious.

They were led into a conference room, not a cell as he halfway anticipated. It was of modest size, originally carved out to house bodies of the Tellarite variety, but the furniture was clearly added for more humanoid figures. The rectangular conference table had a polished silver top, complete with the Starfleet insignia in its center. Only the end seats had monitors mounted on the table in front of them. Spock and Chekov were led to the centermost seats and gestured to sit.

“You can take off your helmets,” said the officer.

Though he said it politely, Spock inferred that it was not a request. He unfastened the helmet and set it aside on the top of the table, Chekov doing the same.

It wasn’t long before the doors opened again and a commanding officer entered. She was alien, but donning the Starfleet uniform of a commander. She stood extremely tall, well over 7 feet, her body willowy, her skin such a deep purple as to almost appear black. Her eyes were solid gold, but as she glided gracefully nearer, Spock could barely discern the tiny black dots that were her pupils. Her cranium was tall, short ivory hair covering it and intertwined with antlers. Spock didn’t recognize her particular species, but didn’t doubt that it was one of the less prominent races to have been integrated into the United Federation of Planets.

“Commander Spock.” She greeted with a hint of interest, her head turning towards Chekov. “Identify yourself, please.”

“Lieutenant Chekov, Pavel Andreivich.”

“I am Commander Thel,” her voice resonated with multiple vocal chords, but her English was superb without needing a translator. “I know you have been made aware that you are not authorized to be here. It is because of the confidentiality of this place that you have not received any general orders regarding the status of this planet. You cannot be blamed for mistakenly coming here, though it is unfortunate.” The black dot in her large eyes flicked from Spock to Chekov. “I would like to speak to you in private, Mr. Spock, that we may resolve this conundrum that we find ourselves in. Lieutenant Mallory, if you could please escort Mr. Chekov out of the room until I call you back in.”

Mallory nudged Chekov onto his feet and Spock did not acknowledge the Russian’s look of worry. It was needless to be concerned just now. They were being treated accordingly. As soon as Thel and Spock were alone, she eased into a chair perpendicular to him at the end of the table, her long fingers linking together almost like cat’’s tails in their fluidity.

“If you have not deduced for yourself, Mr. Spock, this facility is under Section 31. I do not need to ask if you have ever heard of this branch of Starfleet because I know all about your involvement with the late Admiral Marcus and some of his projects.”

Spock did not refute any of it. The clarification that this was indeed Section 31, however, brought an uneasy feeling to creep up in the Vulcan’s mind.

“Your arrival here has generated many complications for all involved. If we can find a way to reconcile your lack of results—since you will not be reporting any—to the Vulcan Science Academy without divulging the presence of Section 31 here, then we can attain some damage control.”

“If I may, commander,” he spoke up respectfully. “The _Enterprise_ was sent here for a specific purpose. We were given information that this planet is in danger of exploding within the next standard Earth year.”

“Yes, we know all about it. We have intercepted numerous proposals and requests from Ambassador Spock. We managed to evade any in-depth investigation on his part, thanks to the natural magnetic interference of this planet. None had ventured so far as to land here... until now. The reputation of risk taking precedes you and your ship.”” Her black pupils danced as they looked him over. “We know about the instability of this planet because of the state in which the Tellarites had left it. We converted it to a weapons laboratory and have been stabilizing it to the best of our ability for many years. We are in the process of officially establishing the instability of this planet to the Federation, so when need be, we can destroy it and any evidence of what we have developed here. We cannot risk it falling into the hands of our enemies. I propose that you make a report of the abandoned Tellarite mine, the complications it presents to this planet, and verify the eventuality that it will explode—all without mentioning Section 31.””

“There is one factor which alters things considerably,” Spock attempted to be as agreeable as possible in spite of the urgency he felt. “Are you aware of the human colony currently on Ceti Alpha V?”

“There is no colony on Ceti Alpha V,” she assured.

“With all due respect, there is. Though perhaps not lawfully. Captain Kirk is there now investigating.” He easily adhered to the lie that this colony was only just discovered.

Her inexpressive eyes were fixed on him for a moment, her already sallow cheeks sucking inward in what he could only interpret as surprise or contemplation.

“That does alter things…” she finally agreed quietly.

The monitor in front of her suddenly chirped and her long finger hit the button.

“What is it?”

“ _Commander Thel, the Bird of Prey has engaged with the_ Enterprise _and has beamed warriors onto Ceti Alpha V. They have just engaged with the_ Enterprise _again._ ”

Spock’s insides fired up with alarm. Klingons?!

Thel’s head canted on her long neck with more expression than her face could give. “Continue to monitor the situation and notify me of the outcome one way or the other.” She signed off the intercom.

For a fraction of a second Spock was stunned. But he quickly voiced his concerns with a firm tone. “Is this station not equipped to assist the _Enterprise_?  Or perhaps beam reinforcements to Ceti Alpha V?”

“Ceti Alpha V is beyond transporter range,” she explained without blinking. “We may be a weapons facility, but we are not armed for defensive strikes. What vessels we have are for transport, not battle. The predicament of the _Enterprise_ is the same as it would be whether or not we were here.”

“Then I request permission for Lieutenant Chekov and myself to return to our ship immediately.”

“The Klingons would surely destroy your shuttle. I cannot permit that. You will be allowed to return when I deem it is safe to do so.” She spoke softly but with authority. “You will both be given quarters to rest and wait until I give you clearance to leave. I will keep you updated on what is happening with your ship and your captain—to the best of my knowledge. Does that satisfy you, commander?”

“To sit idly by and wait for uncertain information is not by anyone’s standards ‘satisfying’,” Spock said with a hint of curtness. “However, I understand the context of my situation and will be cooperative, commander…”

Jim and McCoy were on Ceti Alpha V, foolishly unarmed by Jim’s orders against a squadron of Klingons (assuming Khan found no reason to kill them already). Spock felt he should be there now with his friends, or at the very least on the _Enterprise_ with Nyota. All Spock could do was sit here to wait and speculate. He felt useless, helpless. Only when Thel rose to her feet did Spock do the same, and by the towering alien’s lead, joined Chekov and Mallory in the corridor to be led to their respective quarters.

 

* * *

 

 

The Bird of Prey had blinked in and out of visibility for the past two hours and this was one of the intervals when she decided to hide again. Scotty sat on the edge of the captain’s chair, staring intently at the viewscreen as he waited for the enemy to appear again.

“The Klingon landing party has practically been wiped out, commander,” the science officer informed rapidly. “Working on a more precise reading of the remaining life forms. Only a few are Klingon, most of them weak.”

Scotty took a deep breath. “Then let’s hope that means the Cap’n and Dr. McCoy are alright…”

“Sir, they’re hailing us!” Uhura had to shout over the red alert.

“On screen!”

Flickering onto the screen was the dark, ridged, and generally fierce face of the Klingon commander. The mane of dreadlocks that cascaded from his head filled more of the screen than the rest of him, a surprisingly polished stud of metal glinting from the first ridge of his forehead. He looked a bit young (as far as Scotty could tell by Klingons, they all looked the same to him).

“ _I am Captain Bor_ _’Jaq!_ ” he bellowed proudly. “ _Who are you and where is Captain Kirk?_ ”

“Commander Montgomery Scott,” Scotty squinted back at him. “Clearly you’re not as stupid as ye look, laddie, because ye know exactly which ship this is. But I’ll give ye the benefit o’ the doubt and assume ye didn’t know you’’re in Federation territory.”

“ _Of course I know what ship it is. It_ _’s the_ Enterprise _, the most coveted foe of the Klingon Empire. And mine to claim victory over! But only if Captain Kirk is in command——a ship is only worth its captain. Where is Kirk?_ ”

Scotty had too much respect for Jim to be insulted, but nonetheless he put on his best smug expression. “I think ye’ll find me more than a match.”

Bor’Jaq’s already creased face scrunched with irritation and he glanced aside, no doubt to a member of his bridge crew. His eyes flashed back to Scotty. “ _Kirk must be among your landing party, then. No matter. I will destroy his ship then beam down and kill him_ _… If he is still alive._ ”

He was ready to end the transmission when a laugh from Scotty made him pause.

“ _You find me humorous?_ ”

“Ye might want to check the status of your landing party, captain. I think ye might’ve overestimated them a wee bit.”

Bor’Jaq didn’t hide his skepticism as he stomped towards the console of one of his crewmen, pushing the science officer out of the way to access the computer for himself. Scotty knew the moment he saw the fate of his own landing party when his eyes flashed wide with fury. Bor’Jaq then stomped right back to the viewscreen again, his broad chest heaving beneath all the leather.

“ _I will still defeat you and finish off what so-called humans are left on that planet! Prepare yourself,_ Enterprise!”

The transmission ended.

Before they could even begin to locate the cloaked Klingon vessel, a flurry of disruptor blasts came at them from the port side, just below them. The _Enterprise_ shook with the wave of hits, damage reports flooding in from all decks.

“Shields failing, sir!” Leslie called out from the helm. “They’re firing on us from extremely close range, they can blast us in half if the shields go out!”

“Put auxiliary power into the shields, keep ‘em up!” Scotty held tight onto the chair. “How close are they?”

“Telemetry of the shots indicates they’re no more than five point five kilometers away, sir. And still cloaked,” said Darwin. Her hands worked furiously in the computer, without so much as pausing as she spoke.

Christ, how did they get so close?! A light went on in Scotty’s brain and he hit the intercom button. “Weapons bay! Are all torpedoes in their tubes?”

“ _Yes, sir!_ ”

“Lieutenant Darwin, I need yer best guess. Where is the Bird of Prey?”

Darwin stammered for only a moment. “Uh… 107 mark 13?”

“On my command, fire all photon torpedoes from the port bays at 107 mark 13! Make a full spread of it. If any of ‘em hit their mark, be ready to fire all phasers directly where they hit.”

“ _Torpedoes standing by, sir!_ ”

“Fire torpedoes!”

The ship jolted as the cluster of torpedoes were launched at once, firing out into space like a swarm of photon fireflies. They gleamed outward, unhindered by any object. Scotty was sure they all completely missed, when one suddenly exploded, lighting up the hull of the Bird of Prey and knocking out its cloaking capability just long enough to be seen.

Scotty grinned. “Fire phasers _at will_!”

The _Enterprise_ practically sang with the sound of phaser fire, plowing into the Bird of Prey. Bor’Jaq’s ship managed to fire back a couple of blasts (both of which missed) as it took to evasive maneuvers, ducking beneath the _Enterprise_ in a straight line away from it. It was no longer cloaked, though it flickered out of sight once in a while in an attempt to disappear. Not only was its hull flaking, it no longer had invisibility.

The Bird of Prey broke into warp and out of sight.


	10. Chapter 10

If there was some small miracle to have occurred in that dreadful night, it was that the winds had stopped after the sun set. It made it easier to put out the fires. Most of the houses were still standing, none untouched by blood or damage, only three of them completely demolished from the brief but violent battle. It all happened so quickly that there was no time for panic. Even now that it was over, there was too much to do to allow anyone to give in to fear.

But Marla knew how devastating this all was, how their life on Ceti Alpha V was permanently changed, even if she couldn’t yet comprehend how. Bodies speckled the ground everywhere. Marla volunteered her and Khan’s home as a makeshift infirmary to get the wounded people in from the cold. A couple of the augments helped her carry injured men, women, and children inside while everyone else received their orders from Khan. He was calm, focused, and not as angry as she anticipated. It only meant that when his anger did surface it was going to be vicious.

His people all looked to him for answers, for him to tell them what to do. Yet somehow in the commotion, Khan stole a moment with Marla alone. He slipped briefly into their house as it filled with the smell of burnt skin and hair and blood to look her over worriedly.

“You’re not hurt?” he whispered, his calloused hands brushing the red strands from her face.

“I’m okay… My ears are ringing a little but I’m okay…” She made light of the scream that constantly seemed to crawl its way up her throat or the aching tension that throbbing through her body and head.

She was giving him the same inspection, touching his dark cloak to be sure it wasn’t concealing any bleeding. It was dirty and spotted with blood that wasn’t his, and the only wounds she could find on him were minor bruises and a cut across his cheekbone that extended to his ear, no doubt the handiwork and death wish of a Klingon who had gotten too close. Having him close now made her legs shake as the adrenaline faded from her system, but rather than giving in to that need to be held by him and cry, she lightly nudged him for the door.

“Go, they need you. I’ll take care of things here.”

He only caught her eye for a instant before sweeping out the door. She learned to not take his abrupt departures personally. He didn’t belong only to her. She followed him out the door, but they went their separate ways as he delegated tasks and she looked for the wounded.

She saw one augment woman limping slowly towards the designated infirmary. It was Gelya, one of the few women in the colony to befriend Marla. Marla had spent many years teaching her two sons, who were currently under each arm to help their mother walk. Marla sprinted to her and relieved the smaller boy, whose physique was that of a 7-year old, though he was only just 5. Both boys seemed unscathed, so Marla’s main concern was Gelya.

“How badly are you hurt?”

“My ribs…” Gelya grunted out. “I think they’re broken… Those Klingons hit harder than I expected… Ivan,” she looked to her older son. “Take your brother to the schoolhouse and stay there with the other children.”

The boy was worried, Marla could tell, but he obeyed without question. Taking his little brother by the hand he led him through the carnage towards the schoolhouse that was on the other side of the colony.

“Who’s watching the children?” Marla asked.

“Roana and Gerard,” Gelya answered simply. “Marla, what happened here?”

“I don’t know, Gelya,” she said honestly.

“Who are the Klingons exactly? What do they want with us?”

A few possibilities entered Marla’s mind, all of which scared her. But instead, she shook her head and led Gelya into the house. “We’ll find answers soon enough… For now you need to take it easy…”

With all of the furniture occupied or smashed, Marla helped Gelya lie down on the floor. It was then that she couldn’t help looking towards the fireplace where Dr. McCoy leaned over Kirk. It seemed the good doctor had finally convinced Kirk to sit down before he fell down from all the blood pouring out of his shoulder.

The captain was seated on the edge of the stone hearth, shirtless and restless. McCoy was in the process of wrapping the bandages, and by the absence of pain on Kirk’s face she guessed he had already gotten the painkiller. His hands, however, were bunched into fists as he leaned from side to side in an attempt to peer past McCoy and out the window.

“Will ya hold still for one blasted minute!” McCoy barked at him. “You won’t get very far if you’re bleedin’ all over the place.”

“Just hurry it up, Bones,” Kirk huffed distractedly.

“An’ they call me the worst patient in the crew… There. Done.” McCoy turned away almost spitefully and gathered up his tricorder and med kit. “Get dressed and get out, I got everything covered in here…”

The doctor gave Kirk one last glare as he moved to the first augment that seemed to need the most help. McCoy made certain to give him a shot of the hypospray first and foremost, to ease any pain before he began his scans. Meanwhile, Kirk was quickly pulling his bloodied shirt back on, followed by his field jacket. Then his communicator went off.

“Kirk here.”

“ _Captain, thank God_ _…_ ” Marla recognized Uhura’s voice. “ _Are you and Dr. McCoy all right?_ ”

“We’re fine, but there are a lot of casualties. What’s going on up there? Have you heard from Spock?”

“ _Negative_ _… We haven’t heard from the shuttle since just before they landed on Ceti Alpha VI. Then we were ambushed by a Bird of Prey. They fled only moments ago._ ”

Ceti Alpha VI? What was Spock doing there?

She could see Kirk containing his anger, but after a deep breath, he managed to collect himself and speak calmly. “Notify Starfleet of the attack and beam down an emergency medical team to report to Dr. McCoy.”

“ _Should I send down a security team as well?_ ”

“Not necessary. Let me know as soon as you hear from Spock. Kirk out.”

He put away the communicator and began to head for the door. Anger suddenly took over Marla and she darted around the wounded people.

“Wait!” She put her whole body in front of him. She kept her voice hushed, though it was sharp. “Are you going to tell me what the hell is going on here? What do you and Khan know that I don’t?”

Kirk glanced over his shoulder at the injured people that filled the room before looking to Marla intently. “I don’t think now is the time to talk about it, Marla…”

“But I know you’re here for a reason! Just tell me—”

A single voice shouting out in the night stopped Marla in mid-sentence. She followed it, Kirk not far behind, out into the desolated grounds of the colony. Torches had been lit all around to illuminate the area, allowing them to clearly see the source of the angry cries—Kati.

“You’re a fool if you think we’ll see this as coincidence! They came because of Captain Kirk! He brought them here, either by design or by accident, but _he brought them here!_ ”

Her fury was directed at Khan, who was carefully handing off a corpse—a body that was tragically small—to one of his men to regard her. He matched her fire with ice, but he was giving her his full attention. Like Khan (and just about everyone else) Kati was marred with blood, the deep crimson of human and the thick pink of Klingons. Her disheveled black hair clung to her wet face.

“If you’d have sent him away the second he beamed down here, they wouldn’t have attacked us!”

“You’re making far too many assumptions, Kati,” Khan’s deep voice was rich with warning. “None of us know enough yet.”

“We _do_ know enough!” she screamed so loud her voice tore and she charged at him, unhindered by the weight of her belly. But she was detained by comrades, who held her hands, one of which had a dagger in it. “So far, we’ve counted twenty four of our own dead, Khan! We know _that_! And they’d still be alive if Kirk hadn’t come! How many times are you going to endanger your own people for the sake of that Starfleet bastard and your inferior bitch?!”

That wasn’t the worst name Marla had received from some of the augments, and though it always hurt in some degree, to have her name dragged through the bloodied mud along with Kirk’s cut deeper than usual. Kirk, who had been watching this beside Marla, started aggressively towards the scene.

Marla seized his arm. Placing himself near Khan just now would have only made her husband’s case weaker. Fortunately, Kirk didn’t argue or resist her silent command, though she could feel the tension in his arm, ready for a fight. He was smart enough to trust her judgment where he was even more of an outsider than she was.

Kati was too exhausted to fight for long, and it was only when she began to calm down did Khan address those who restrained her.

“Take her inside and look after her… Keep her there until I say otherwise.”

Kati was gently led away towards her own home. Khan didn’t give her another second of his attention as he turned back to his duties, grabbing the collar of a dead Klingon and lifting it halfway off the cold ground like it was little more than garbage. He hadn’t noticed Marla and Kirk, though they continued to watch him for a moment.

“I don’t know if she’s wrong,” Kirk said quietly. “We might have brought the Klingons here…”

Marla’s chest felt tight. There was no reason to disagree and she couldn’t deny her own confused anger. She couldn’t comfort him.

“I’ll be inside helping Dr. McCoy…” That was all she could manage to say. She finally released her vice grip on the captain’s arm and stepped back into the house.

* * *

 

 

Marla’s fingers dug into Kirk’s arm even through the layers of his uniform and jacket. She clutched even though the need was long past. Had he been made of glass, she might have broken him. All that Jim needed to know about Marla’s pain was in that grip, otherwise she hid it well. She hid it better than the augment Kati, who was ready to cut out someone’s throat over this tragedy. Kirk couldn’t blame her. Whatever blame there was to be had, he could feel it weighing down on his shoulders more and more as the loss was measured. It was too dark to see the blood, but in the shadows formed from the torches around, he knew they were drenched in it.

After Marla left him, he was already making his way towards Khan. Khan had just dropped a dead Klingon onto the pile with a heavy thud when he turned. His face was hard set, unnervingly so when he regarded Kirk.

“I ordered a medical team to beam down,” Kirk got straight to the point. “They’ll be beaming down any minute now and I didn’t want you to be surprised.”

Khan paused only long enough to take in a breath. “I will allow their help.”

And he was stalking off to grab the next Klingon corpse. That didn’t sound in any way like a ‘thank you’. Right on cue, the scintillating glimmer of human figures appeared as they beamed down into the midst of the debris. It was two dozen blue shirts, all the nurses and doctors of the ship who had traded their white uniforms for blue field attire. McCoy was briskly marching out of the house when they appeared, wiping his hands and telling his people where to go.

A cacophony of dragging and stomping feet, punctuated by grunts and growls, drew Jim’s attention. There were a few living Klingons, at least nine of them, bound with their gauntlets at their backs and being marched in a line towards Khan. Leading it was Joaquin and three other augments, little Joachim trampling eagerly behind with a knife in his hand. The Klingons were all wounded, a couple of them hardly able to walk from what could only be mortal wounds.

“Excellency!”

Joaquin stopped the captives when he had Khan’s attention and they were all kicked to their knees. Even the ones who were mere breaths away from death put on fearless fronts. Klingons were nothing if not proud. Khan approached them, looking down his nose disdainfully.

“These are all the living ones we could find,” Joaquin said with disgust. “Here they are. As you ordered…”

Kirk stepped up beside Khan, ignoring the looks of resentment from the augments.

“Let me have some of my people treat them,” he whispered. “They violated the treaty with the Federation, they should be handed over to Starfleet.”

By the way that Khan’s chest broadened, he obviously didn’t agree. Though Jim attempted to be discreet, Khan leaned his face in close but spoke loud enough for all to hear.

“Need I remind you, captain, that you are on _my_ soil,” he seethed. “If they are to receive mercy it will not be from me.” Khan’s eyes turned to Joaquin.  “All children are ordered to be gathered at the schoolhouse.”

Joaquin nodded his understanding and looked to his son, who stared at the captive aliens with fear and fascination. “Joachim… Go to the school and stay there.”

Joachim moved towards his father, but glanced from the Klingons to Khan. “But I can help.”

“You’ve already helped,” Joaquin said firmly. “Lord Khan needs you to look after the other children. We all have our duties.”

The boy looked to Khan, seeming to hope their leader would change his mind. But Khan looked to Joaquin, deferring to the boy’s father as the ultimate authority. Joachim finally forfeited and obediently made his way to the school. Kirk, too, was glad to have a child out of the way.

Khan waited for the boy to disappear into the building. “Joaquin...” Though he spoke to his second in command, his eyes locked onto Kirk imperiously. They were ominously green in the torchlight as he held Jim’s gaze and pointed to one of the Klingons. “Take this one to the pit. Kill the rest.”

“Yes, My Lord Khan.”

“No—Wait!”

Kirk was blatantly ignored by all as a series of blades simultaneously rang through the air and struck the Klingons down. A few meticulous slashes and their bodies fell into heaps, the remaining one keeping his head high without a flinch. But Kirk could see the rage boiling just beneath the surface of this Klingon to see his brethren die in such a dishonorable way.

Kirk had about as much love for a Klingon as he did a rattlesnake, but this was still making his stomach turn. Even more so when he considered why one was left alive. The augments dragged the last Klingon away, towards the blackness of the woods that led to the very pit that Kirk briefly occupied.

“What are you going to do with him?” Kirk asked, though he suspected he knew the answer.

Khan picked up a disruptor from the burnt ground, his eyes dipping to it as he checked its charge. “You are welcome to come along, captain, to see for yourself…. But interfere at your own risk.”

He didn’t wait for a reply and followed behind his men as they marched the Klingon away. Kirk, however, couldn’t immediately get his feet to move. Something was telling him that Khan intended to torture the Klingon—for revenge or answers, he wasn’t sure which. Probably both.

As a starship captain, Jim didn’t know if he could watch and just let it happen.

And yet, _as a starship captain_ , whatever that Klingon had to reveal, he needed to hear it, too.

The soldier in him was at war with the human. Blues lifted to the glowing orb in the sky that was Ceti Alpha VI. He was regretting his decision to send Spock there. He needed his friend’s advice and was in no position to wait for it. Tearing his eyes away, he consciously avoided the ruins around him. He swallowed down the bile that threatened to rise and followed Khan.


	11. Chapter 11

The shadows were so dark they were impenetrable, even by the orange light of the torches that some of Khan’s men carried. There was no moon out and the light of Ceti Alpha VI as it looked down on them was not enough to cast any shadows of its own. So the bottom of the Pit was pure blackness, and Kirk felt a jolt of concern when Khan knocked the Klingon captive down into it.

The massive warrior could be heard hitting the damp ground with a heavy thud, a contained grunt just loud enough to reach their ears. Jim and McCoy, when they were captured earlier, were at least allowed to climb in by the ladder that was currently coiled at the top. No Klingon was about to receive the same courtesy.

With a few low commands from Khan, two of the augments dropped down from the edge, each with a torch in his hand. It was then that they could finally see the Klingon—he was on his feet already, though slightly tilted from obvious pain, his hands writhing in their twine bindings. Now that the Pit’s bottom could be seen, Joaquin and two more men dropped effortlessly down. Had Jim done the same, he was sure it would have broken at least one leg or ankle.

The Klingon was forced to his knees by a boot to the calf, the non-torch bearing men taking a stance on each side of him. Joaquin pulled the alien’s helmet from his head and the torchlight glinted off the sheen of the flesh that covered his ridged brow.

“Why have you come to this planet?” Khan spoke down at him from the top of the Pit.

The Klingon looked up and Jim wasn’t surprised to see the fierce defiance in his face.

“We’ve come for a good fight,” growled the captive, “and we were victorious in getting here first to kill the Dishonorable Slaughterer of the Ketha Province.”

Jim’s attention snapped to Khan, but the augment leader didn’t react.

“What made you think he was here?” Khan asked calmly.

“I know it’s you,” the Klingon sneered. “We’ve learned your face and your name… _Khan Noonien Singh._ ”

“How?” Khan’s voice rose this time.

But the Klingon laughed. “The Klingon Empire is resourceful and if we cannot _seize_ a chance for vengeance we will _pursue_ it.”

“My name!” Khan bellowed down at him. “Tell me how you know it!” Jim could almost feel the heat rising off of him.

Again, the Klingon laughed. “You may as well try your tortures, I won’t tell you anything either way. I will die fighting.”

Khan glowered down at him silently, his mouth tight and his eyes unblinking. Then, his frown smoothed away.

“No…” Khan rumbled, a strange glimmer in his eye. “When you die, you will die by your own hand and I will learn your name so that I may share with your brethren your cowardly, dishonorable death. McPherson!” he said without turning.

The man approached, a box under his arm. Kirk hadn’t even noticed when the box was retrieved, or whether or not it was carried from the village with them. It was only one of a million things he wanted to ask but he forced himself to be silent. He had to respect Khan’s authority and be nothing more than a bystander. Khan took the small box from McPherson, who quickly stepped back without a word. Clutching it with care, Khan stepped off the edge of the Pit and landed gracefully mere inches from the Klingon’s face. They glared fearlessly at one another and Jim anxiously watched from above.

The box was handed to Joaquin, but only to be held while Khan unfastened the metal-forged clasps that held it shut. The back of Khan’s head blocked Jim’s view of the box’s contents, so Jim briskly circled the edge of the hole for a better look. It was dark, but he could see a tool in Khan’s hand that was put into the box with some delicacy. A shrill noise suddenly rose from the box. There was something alive in there.

“Khan, what is that?” Jim called down with uneasiness.

“You may call it a pet of sorts…” Khan spoke loudly enough for Kirk to hear, but his attention was fixed between the box and his prisoner. “…though not quite domesticated…”

Jim could barely make out from his vantage point the tip of the tool as it was carefully pulled out of the box. There was something small wriggling in the clasps of the forceps.

“Wait a minute, tell me what that is before you—”

Kirk moved for the ladder, ready to drop it down and join Khan below, when McPherson hooked both arms behind his back and pinned him in place.

Khan glanced up at him, a nod of approval given to his man before he looked back to the Klingon. “Stay where you are, captain. I am glad to tell you what this is…”

It was held where the Klingon could see it the best, the small larvae-like creature shrieking with surprising volume and pitch. Whether it had a mouth large enough to produce such a sound, Jim was too far to tell.

“We named them Ceti eels,” Khan said gravely. “Their young—such as this one—seek out a living host and enter through the ear canal. They burrow in, heedless of the pain it causes because its host cannot possibly reach it to stop its digging... Then, it wraps itself around the cerebral cortex and injects a toxin. This placates the host, renders them calm and anesthetized to the intrusion in their brain. As it grows, it causes insanity… then death. How long it takes depends on the host. The Ceti eels have taken the lives of over a dozen of my people and we’ve since learned the necessary precautions…”

That explained why all of the houses were on stilts, if these things lived in the ground. But Kirk was feeling a bit sick as the explanation went on.

“I have seen what they do to augmented humans… but now we are presented with a _privileged_ opportunity to see how they fair in navigating Klingon anatomy.”

The men who held the Klingon down forced his head to one side. With a roar, the Klingon thrashed and fought to get free. But his injuries prevented him even getting off his knees. Joaquin joined in to hold him still and Khan leaned over him. The eel was dropped onto the shell of the Klingon’s ear, and Jim could see the tiny creature inch its way towards the ear canal. The captain shuddered, cringed, but couldn’t look away.

The eel squirmed and delved until it vanished from sight, the Klingon roaring from sheer agony and doubtless terror. Jim was stunned and helpless as he watched. The captive was released and he clutched his ridged head desperately, throwing himself to and fro. The augments that encircled him stepped back only enough to give him room to flounder, his roaring quickly dying into pitiful grunts and huffs, lying face down in the mud. Then there was silence.

He must have been dead, Jim was sure of it. Nothing could be alive after making those sounds.

Khan moved forward and used his boot to force his prisoner onto his back. Wide eyes stared up at the sky, mouth gaping to reveal pointed teeth, a deep breath taken. To see him alive filled Jim with more dread than seeing him dead.

Khan gestured and his men pulled the Klingon back onto his knees. The blank stare was eerie, but his cooperative movements even more so.

“Oh, I almost forgot to mention…” Khan said satirically to no one in particular. “The eel’s toxin also renders the host rather susceptible to suggestion.” He stood in front of the Klingon with the air of a conqueror. “You will refer to me as ‘Lord Khan’ or ‘Excellency’.”

“Yes, Excellency…” The Klingon answered without hesitation.

Kirk always thought he would enjoy seeing a degraded Klingon. But there was a chill of nausea rising up in him.

“What is your name?”

“Krog.”

“Why are you here?”

“To kill you, Lord Khan… To avenge the Klingon warriors that you massacred in the Ketha Province on Qo’noS…”

“Who sent you?”

“We’ve come with Captain Bor’Jaq, Excellency. He claimed victory over the _USS Enterprise_ …”

“And how did your captain know to come here?”

The Klingon blinked his glazed eyes. “We were given no name, Excellency… But the coordinates of this planet were broadcast to every corner of the Klingon Empire. They gave your name, said you were apart from Starfleet and fair game. We have been craving your blood for so long, Lord Khan, that every Klingon warrior wants your head. Others are sure to come soon, but we were here first…”

“Was this attack sanctioned by your Empire?” Khan’s voice was strangely composed.

“No, Excellency… Only the true warriors have come without waiting for permission. I am willing to suffer the punishment so long as we are avenged by killing you…”

“Oh, you will have no such satisfaction, you boor,” the augment leader seethed now. “You will never be avenged. Your bat’leth is bloodless, your disrupter as cool as when you first armed yourself with it. You are regretful of coming on this fool’s errand…”

Krog shifted uncomfortably.

“…You are ashamed to have lost to mere humans…”

Krog’s head lowered.

“… And now, you’re afraid. You’re petrified to have been so utterly defeated by mere crossbows and spears against your disruptors and grenades. You’re a disgrace, you’re weak, and you’re pathetically frightened. Do it. Let me hear the mewling sounds of your true pitiful nature.”

With his head still hanging from his shoulders, Krog did what Jim never thought he would see—he whimpered and wept. Merely because Khan told him to, he was reduced to a blubbering weakling. Khan let it happen for far too long, watching silently, surely reveling in the pathetic sight. Finally, he drew a knife from his belt and held the handle down at his captive.

“Take this knife, Krog,” he said disdainfully. “And cut your throat to bleed out the infection of your miserable existence.”

There was hopeless resign in Krog’s ridged face as he took the blade, and without any hesitancy, dragged the blade across his throat. Whimpers were choked into gurgles, but the knife continued to drag until it reached the other side of his broad, leathery throat. The weapon dropped into the mud and he sputtered, the pink blood surprisingly bright in the torchlight as it gushed down the front of his armor. Khan stepped back just in time for Krog to buckle over. He continued to choke, a few rasps of air bubbling through.

Khan picked up his knife, wiped the blood onto the Klingon’s shoulder, and slipped it back into his belt.

“McPherson, the ladder…” he ordered curtly.

It wasn’t until McPherson let go of his hold on Kirk to obey that Jim even realized he was still being detained. The rope ladder was unrolled to hang into the pit. One by one, Khan and the other men climbed out. Jim stared down into the hole, his body unable to move. He didn’t know what to make of the sight, but when one of the augments passed by him carrying the box, the young captain involuntarily flinched away.

“Captain,” Khan’s voice was close. “We have a lot to discuss. Will you come?”

“J-just… Just go, I’ll catch up…” his voice shook, but he didn’t care. Every hair on his body was on end and his stomach was clenching into itself.

“No one travels alone in these woods, it’s far too dangerous.” His tone was flat, disgustingly civil after the perverse scene that had just played out in the Pit. “You have one minute to compose yourself before we return and your crew sees you…”

Khan stepped aside to stand with his men a few feet away. Jim was thankful for the space, as well as the reminder of his own duty in appearances, because he was one small gag away from emptying the contents of his stomach right then and there. But turning his back to the finally lifeless Klingon, he took a few deep breaths and contained it. He could hear the small screeching of the eel down in the pit. It must have vacated its dead host in search of a new one and Jim shuddered again, moving away from the edge of the hole until he could no longer hear the creature.

Once the nausea ebbed away, consternation began to take hold, then pure anger. He approached the group that awaited him and didn’t so much as look at Khan. He couldn’t bring himself to.

“Let’s go.”

Kirk gave the word, but Khan led the way.


	12. Chapter 12

Spock sat silently in a chair, the points of his elbows on his knees, long hands linked together with both index and middle fingers aligned and pressed lightly to the straight line that was his mouth. By all appearances he was the embodiment of serenity, but behind closed eyes there was chaos and noise. He had long since removed the cumbersome environmental suit to don the more comfortable generic black uniform that was beneath it.

Commander Thel had put both Spock and Lt. Chekov in separate rooms. They were only told to wait and were not permitted to leave. Though Spock did not see the chamber for Chekov, he was confident that it was in all probability much like Spock’s own: no accessible computer, one chair, one table, one cot, and an armed security officer guarding the door from the outside.

There was no way to find out what was happening beyond these walls.

                Spock only knew that the _Enterprise_ had engaged in battle with a Klingon vessel. The fates of either ship or the landing party on Ceti Alpha V were all but unknown. The captain’s situation was particularly precarious. There was no reason to think the worst had befallen Jim, but there was no reason to hope for the best either. There simply was not enough information and it made Spock feel helpless. It stirred up emotions that he could feel threatening to cloud his logic. His human half was beginning to fret.

 _What is your mission?_ inquired his Vulcan side.

_To discover the cause of Ceti Alpha VI_ _’s imminent destruction._

That was his purpose. That was within his control. That would be his focus. It was logical.

Thel assured him that this planet was indeed doomed to explode, but she failed to specify precisely how. The door to his room then slid open and Lt. Mallory entered unarmed.

“Commander Thel requests your presence,” he said politely. “I’ll take you to her office.”

Spock silently cooperated and rose to his feet, his snug shirt given one careful tug to smooth out wrinkles before he followed. Mallory was courteous in his escort through the maze of halls. He navigated them with ease, never needing to pause when the darkly lit pathway would divide into two seemingly identical corridors. The caves were oddly dry, no smell or sensation of dampness.

“Watch your head,” he would instruct in an especially low passage.

When they came to an open doorway, Mallory stopped at the door and waved Spock to enter. The Vulcan passed from the jagged and shadowy corridor into the diffused lighting of a sleek office. It was the first room that Spock had seen thus far that resembled anything Starfleet. At his entrance, Thel rose to her tall stature behind a small metal desk, her monitor automatically fading to the Starfleet emblem to conceal whatever had been on display.

“Commander,” she greeted smoothly and extended a willowy hand to a vacant chair on the opposite side of her desk. “Will you be seated?”

Spock stood beside the chair but only folded his hands at his back. “No, thank you. I prefer to stand.”

“As you wish.” She, too, stayed on her feet. “I have just been informed that the Klingon Bird of Prey has fled. The _Enterprise_ is victorious and does not seem to have received any critical damage.”

Spock wanted to sigh with relief, to smile even. Instead he nodded once. “I am pleased to hear it. Have we your permission to depart, then?”

“The moment we are done here, you are free to leave. Your persistence in landing on this planet may actually prove quite advantageous. I am well aware of the Vulcan disinclination to lie…”

Spock was silently offended at her insinuation that Vulcans lied, even if it was true that every Vulcan lied by saying they never did.

“Therefore,” she went on, “I intend to show you precisely what kinds of measures we are taking to prevent the complete rupture of this planet. That way you will not be forced to falsify—or be tempted to be truthful—in your report of your mission here. I will, of course, make clear what you are required to omit.”

Spock’s interest was piqued. An agent of Section 31 was offering to share some information with him and he could not help the lure of knowledge. The more information that he received here, the more questions he knew _not_ to ask.

“Understood.”

She glided towards the door. “Come with me, then.”

Spock followed one step behind her, but as close to her side as the confined space of the corridors required. Thel was considerably taller than he was, the crown of his head perhaps level with her pointed chin. Mallory, meanwhile, had vanished. He did not linger in the hall after escorting Spock, no doubt to tend to other duties elsewhere, whatever they were.

“The reason behind Ceti Alpha VI’s instability needs little explaining,” she spoke calmly as she led the way through the labyrinth. “The Tellarites practically cored out a majority of this planet’s most abundant mineral—pergium—and in doing so could no longer bypass or safely counter the unstable deposits of tekasite.”

Tekasite was an element whose explosive qualities were so famous they were almost exclusively used for weaponry. She continued:

“The Tellarites abandoned this mining operation completely, taking their haul and leaving this planet to crumble into itself. Though the Tellarites are long gone, the planet is still struggling to find its new equilibrium. These rocks contain immeasurable potential energy that if released would not just fracture the mantle and crust, but break this entire planet into pieces…”

She trailed off as they arrived at a securely locked door, an armed officer standing vigilantly on each side of it. Thel stepped ahead of Spock without so much as regarding the security men to access the panel beside the door. Long fingers danced over the keys to put in her access code, and with a cheerful beep, the door slid open.

The door must have been insulated, because as soon as it was open, Spock’s sensitive ears were bombarded with such an ambiance that he involuntarily winced, his hands almost lifting to cover his ears.

“Apologies, commander…” Thel said softly. “I should have warned you. What you are hearing is what is keeping this planet intact. If you are not too uncomfortable, shall we proceed?”

The Vulcan wished he had been given some preparation. Though it created the slightest twitching in his eye, his curiosity prevailed. “It’s tolerable.” He felt like he was shouting with the buzzing in his head, though he knew he kept his voice outwardly calm.

Thel entered first and he followed. The room—or cavern rather—was practically all machinery. It scaled the serrated rocks up and down for hundreds of feet, perhaps even miles towards the core of the planet. The cross-hatched metal of a catwalk stretched across this vast abyss to connect the entrance door to another, secured set of double doors and was the only thing separating Spock’s feet from a rather unpleasant plunge.

As they crossed this aged bridge towards the double doors, the sound only intensified. Thel, and perhaps average humans as well, seemed unaffected by this barrage that cut through Spock’s brain like metal wires of varying size. Some cut like razors, other like dull knives. He put on a face of indifference but couldn’t stop the appearance of a vein at his temple.

Thel reached the doors and opened them, but she did not enter. She stood aside and gestured inward. “You may look but you are not authorized to enter.”

Spock moved only close enough to do as instructed and looked through the open doors. This room was small, but cluttered with even more machinery. Operating them were three visible technicians. There were too many monitors displaying too much data for Spock to grasp it all as completely as he would have liked. But with a glance at the most telling visuals was all the information he felt he needed.

“A planetary resonator,” he said with a betraying tone of interest.

“Yes.”

“You cancel out the potential energy of the rock bursts by emitting extreme frequency waves. The amplitude does not seem sufficient for a planet of this size…”

“It isn’t,” she agreed. “That is why there are four other tactically positioned resonators throughout Ceti Alpha VI. Each of them are constantly monitored, the frequency levels constantly adjusted according to the ever-changing natural energy of the planet. We occasionally allow seismic activity to occur or if need be induce it to release some of the energy and reduce the strength of any potential burst. We can withdraw if you’re satisfied.”

Spock didn’t realize that he was squinting, his vision having blurred from the vibrations that rattled through the occipital area of his head. He nodded and appreciated Thel’s brisk movements as she secured the doors once more and led the way back across the chasm and into the corridor. When she closed the door, the sounds were cut off and Spock took in a slow breath. He could feel the residual buzzing in his head as his body calmed itself.

“It seems illogical…” he said at last, looking to the other commander, “to choose such a faulty planet for a weapons facility. The Ceti Alpha system has no strategic advantages for the Federation whatsoever.”

“I’m confident you’ll understand when I say Section 31 has strategic reasoning apart from the Federation.”

That was her way of telling him there were more secrets here and that she was not going to share them. And she was right. Spock understood. That didn’t mean he was comfortable with it.

She motioned for him to follow again and they walked together through the dark tunnel. “Now that you have proof of Ceti Alpha’s VI’s volatility, you can truthfully report the unpredictable nature of the seismic activity here and the very real likelihood that one tectonic slip will trigger a planetary explosion. What you will omit completely is the presence of Section 31 here, including our countermeasure and all names of personnel and our purpose here.”

The last part would be easy to omit, because Spock was certain he didn’t know their _true_ purpose here. She had said nothing about the colony on Ceti Alpha V since Spock had informed her of it. He was tempted to ask, to remind her if she had (unlikely) forgotten. But his lips remained sealed. There was a gap in his understanding of Section 31’s presence here, and it seemed highly probable that Ceti Alpha V figured into it somehow.

“As we speak, Lieutenant Chekov is being briefed on the importance of confidentiality. The less he knows, the better. Once you two return to the surface, you will not speak a word of this to anyone. To do so could jeopardize not only Section 31 but the Federation as well. Our secrets are our strength.”

“Understood,” Spock said simply.

“If there is nothing else, Mr. Spock, you and Mr. Chekov will be escorted to the surface so that you may make your way back to your shuttlecraft.”

“I do have one inquiry,” said Spock. “Is there any news of the Klingons that were reported to have landed on Ceti Alpha V?”

“They were eliminated. That is all we know.”

“Thank you, commander,” Spock said graciously. “I have nothing further to ask.”

She walked with him back to their temporary quarters and at their arrival the Russian was being led out of his room by Mallory. He looked mildly stressed, no doubt from the same pressure that Thel had placed on Spock regarding secrecy. But the young lieutenant looked relieved to see Spock and some color returned to his face.

“A safe journey, Mr. Spock,” Thel said kindly.

“Thank you, commander,” Spock said politely, unable to crack his cold regard towards her.

Thel took her leave of them and they were assisted by her officers back into their environmental suits. Mallory was with them every step of the way as he alone led them to the elevator. Once they were on the old platform, he gave them a friendly nod and smile.

“Have a safe trip back to your ship, gentleman. I wish we could have been more entertaining hosts.”

“Good bye!” Chekov forced a smile and a wave, but as soon as the elevator began to climb and they were out of sight and ear shot of Mallory, his face dropped. “I theenk I’ve had enough entertainment to last me ze rest of ze year.”

The joke fell flat on all levels and Spock didn’t acknowledge it. The Vulcan was too busy sorting the new information in his mind to pay much mind to it. The silence quickly began to bother Chekov as he displayed obvious anxiety by tapping the hand rail, then his foot.

“Meester Spock—”

Spock sighed.

“—do you theenk they know about you-know-who’s colony?”

“I don’t know who you mean, Mr. Chekov…” Spock said with disinterest.

“You know…” he whispered rather loudly through the communicator of his helmet. “ _Khan._ ”

“What of him?”

“Do you theenk they know?” he didn’t mind repeating himself.

“To whom are you referring, lieutenant? The only other lifeform on this planet, aside from me and you, is Sulu.”

“But Meester Spo—Oh.”

One dead pan look from Spock was enough to remind the young man to shut up. They were given explicit orders. Unfortunately, humans occasionally needed reminders of things they had learned less than twenty minutes prior.

It was dark when they reached the top of the quarry. The ground was as black as the starry sky above and the shuttlecraft stood out like a ship at sea with its lights blinking a short distance away. They both turned on the lights of their suits, which illuminated the ground at their feet and the mounds of rocks ahead, allowing them to make a safe trek back to the vessel.

“Mr. Sulu, if you read, we are approaching the shuttle,” Spock’s communicator spat out static.

“ _Aye, sir!_ ” Sulu let his happiness be heard in his voice.

The shuttle’s door lowered and they climbed in. With Sulu’s help, they disrobed from the environmental suits and slipped on their respective blue and gold shirts once more.

“Prepare for deployment, Sulu…” Spock ordered as he slipped into the co-pilot’s seat.

Sulu obeyed without pause, but as his hands worked over the controls, he was glancing furiously between Spock and Chekov. “Well? What did you guys find down there? It’s been hours. I couldn’t get through the interference so I was starting to think the worst.”

“As you can see your concern is no longer necessary, we are in good health,” Spock said simply. “We found the required evidence that this planet is indeed unstable and at risk of exploding. There are no means of predicting when.”

Sulu paused and stared at him. Spock was vague and he knew it was uncharacteristic for him (to say nothing of Chekov’s own uncharacteristic silence). Sulu was not stupid, but his suspicions were the least of Spock’s worries.

“Shall we return to the _Enterprise?_ Or would you prefer to linger on an erratic planet, Mr. Sulu?”

“Aye, sir… Deploying now.” Sulu cleared his throat and activated the vessels thrusters for lift off.


	13. Chapter 13

Maybe it was the guilt that kept her moving after her body thought it had reached it limit. Maybe it was her genuine fear for the life of a woman who had always been indifferent—if not tolerant—of her. Whatever it was, Marla was right alongside the augments searching the rubble of the fallen house.

It was Joachim’s mother, Amy, who remained the last augment to be accounted for. After the attack, her husband Joaquin disappeared into the woods with Khan and Captain Kirk to deal with the Klingon prisoner, her son meanwhile corralled into the schoolhouse with the dozens of other children. And in the chaos of the aftermath, it was easy for someone to go missing, to be forgotten.

But that was an excuse that Marla refused to exploit.

She saw Amy mere moments before the attack— _she_ should have been the first to think to look for her. When Amy couldn’t be found anywhere in the decimated village, the only logical conclusion was that she was still somewhere in the ruins of the building the once called home.

A couple of Dr. McCoy’s medical personnel joined in the search; the wounded were under enough control that they could be spared. Torches were carried over the rubble in an attempt to penetrate the shadows, perhaps catch the puff of breath against the midnight air if Amy was still alive.

It took nearly an hour of digging and calling out to her when the augment, Olga, shouted out.

“I found her!”

The rest of the search party hurried towards her, cautiously trampling the debris. Marla breathlessly shouldered through the others.

“Amy!” she cried hoarsely.

 She was alive, her eyes were open, but she was obviously struggling to breathe. As the splintered and charred wood was pulled off of her, the flayed skin on her left side could be seen. It was clearly the damage of a grenade that had detonated too close.

“Joachim…” Amy’s voice was a mere wheeze. “Where’s my Joachim?”

“He’s safe,” Marla said soothingly, managing a faltering smile. “Don’t worry… and don’t talk, help is coming…”

Just as Marla lowered herself to kneel beside Amy, a pair of hands was lifting her right back onto her feet and pushing her away. It was one of the _Enterprise_ medical officers and McCoy’s voice could be heard approaching from behind.

“Make some room, for God’s sakes, so we can help the woman!”

Blue shirts and tricorders surrounded her and Marla could no longer see her. All she could hear were comforting whispers from Dr. McCoy and one hypo injection after another.

“She’s lost a lot of blood…”

That was the only thing she could hear from McCoy, and the tone of his murmurs to his officers was not comforting. She moved and leaned in a desperate attempt to find out what was happening when she was suddenly distracted by a flicker of light in the corner of her eye. Torchlight had appeared at the edge of the woods. It meant Khan’s party had returned, along with Joaquin. Marla hurried in a careful clamor over the rubble of the house, but the instant her boots hit the solid earth she was sprinting towards the approaching group of men.

Khan was at the front of the group, Captain Kirk on one side of him, Joaquin on the other. She ignored the look of alarm on Khan’s face to see her hurrying so swiftly towards them as she stumbled to a halt in front of Joaquin. She hadn’t even spoken yet and the burly man was already turning a shade paler in apprehension.

“Amy…” she heaved, her lungs aching from the run. “She’s hurt badly… at your house, you should go to her…”

Joaquin would not wait for Khan’s permission—since he did not need it—and bolted past Marla towards the village. Marla couldn’t help fearing the worst, and along with the sinking feeling in her stomach, she was now feeling somewhat nauseated from running. It had been such a long night she expended energy that she simply didn’t have.

She was able to stay on her feet, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t thankful for the strong arm that coiled itself around her waist and pulled her in close and warm. Khan supported her, but also silently insisted that they keep walking.

“How badly is she hurt?” he asked quietly and she could hear the concern in his voice.

“I don’t know exactly…” she admitted. “We only just found her. She looks so weak, Khan…” her voice trembled and she curled her fingers into the coarse weave of his cloak as she walked beside him. She pressed her cheek into him. She didn’t care that he smelled of sweat, blood, dirt, and fire. She felt safer. “Why did this happen? Why did they even come here?”

“They were looking for a prize…” Khan’s voice was bitter.

“They weren’t just looking,” Captain Kirk’s voice suddenly interjected and he stepped around Khan’s protective form for Marla to see him. “Someone sent them here. Khan, we have _got_ to talk about our next step here.”

There was something different on Kirk’s eye, an added squareness in his shoulders the way he looked at Khan. He didn’t look that way before they went to the woods. One of the men in Khan’s party was carrying a sealed box that she recognized all too well. The Klingon was clearly not being brought back, and Marla didn’t have to guess very far as to what happened. Observation and experience gave her all the tools she needed to know that the Klingon was dead and that Khan had once again made use of his Ceti eels.

She was glad. It felt like the first victory in this horrible night.

“Who sent them?” she asked her husband. “What did the Klingon say?”

“An anonymous source told the Klingons where to find me. They were lured here by the promise of revenge for my last visit to their home world...”

Marla knew about the Klingon massacre at Khan’s hand. It had almost started a war. “But who…? Why…? How could anyone know you were here..?” The questions piled up on each other and she couldn’t get her exhausted mind to focus on the most pertinent.

Khan sympathized and simply shook his head. He didn’t know either. Instead, he continued to hold her close as they neared the village.

The sound of a communicator twittered through the air and Marla looked past Khan to see Kirk impatiently retrieve the device.

“Yeah?”

“ _Spock here._ ”

“The tension immediately dropped from Kirk’s shoulders and he smiled up at the sky. “Spock! God, it’s good to hear your voice…”

“ _And yours, captain. Are you alright?_ ”

“I’m fine. A lot of people were wounded down here, but Bones is taking care of them. Are you okay?”

“ _Mr. Sulu, Mr. Chekov, and I are all unharmed and en route back to the_ Enterprise _. We will be docking shortly but I wished to give you a status report as soon as possible. It would have been sooner were it not for the interference._ ”

Khan stopped walking and moved closer to Kirk, bringing Marla in closer in the process. She had been wondering what it was Mr. Spock was up to, so she listened intently. Kirk didn’t even strive for privacy and instead brought the communicator towards his eavesdroppers.

“Spock, I have Khan and Marla right here with me. Go ahead with that status report.”

“ _We safely landed on Ceti Alpha VI where Mr. Chekov and I explored one of the many quarries that had been left there by a long-abandoned Tellarite mining operation. Succinctly put, their digging has left the planet irreparably volatile. It is rife with seismic activity and it is only a matter of time before it will in fact explode. Our fears have been confirmed. It cannot be predicted or stopped._ ”

Kirk’s eyes had closed beneath a heavy frown and Marla couldn’t help staring at him.

“It’s going to explode? What does that mean for us? Is that what you avoided telling me?” She was looking at both Kirk and Khan now.

“Thank you, Spock… I’ll get in touch with you soon. Kirk out.” He snapped the communicator shut and looked to Khan steadily. “You know what this means.”

Khan showed no response, but Marla could feel the tightening of his arm around her. He looked out at the village—rather, what remained of it. The expression on his face seemed almost numb as he beheld the devastation.

“It means…” Khan began quietly, “another exile.”

Marla’s stomach sank and she could feel the need to cry rising again for the hundredth time that night. “You mean we have to leave.” Her words were flat, forcing immediate acceptance.

“If we stay…” Khan spoke softly, only for her as he turned to bring his chest to hers, “we face more attacks than we could never hope to defend ourselves against. If we could manage to hold out for some prolonged period of time, the eruption of Ceti Alpha VI would be enough to damage this world and destroy whatever life we’ve made here.”

Marla stared at him, stunned. Even having it explained to her didn’t make sense of why her world was pulled apart in one night. It was even less real for the amount of calm in which Khan, whose rage was notorious, told her of the end of life as they knew it.

“We’ll be able to find you a new home quickly,” Kirk added gently, his eyes far more compassionate than Khan’s just now. “There’s more than enough room on the _Enterprise_ to accommodate for everyone.”

“Will you grant me enough time to at least bury my dead?” Khan asked Kirk, but kept his eyes on Marla.

“Of course… We’ll help where we can.”

Kirk moved to excuse himself, no doubt to give them space to mourn, when Khan’s voice cut through the air.

“Captain.” He waited until he had Kirk’s full attention. “You may help with the injured. But do not touch our dead.”

It came out as a warning and it sent a chill through Marla. She couldn’t read anything beneath Khan’s surface and it scared her. All eyes were suddenly pulled towards one direction when an anguished scream broke through the air.

It was Joaquin.

The medical officers who had been around Amy’s broken body were stepping back, their heads low with defeat. Joaquin was atop the rubble, crumpled over the unseen body of his wife. It only took a glance to know that Amy was dead.

 

* * *

 

 

The final death toll was 27.

Of that number, 6 of them were children.

Kirk felt a stab in his chest when McCoy reported those numbers to him. From the start, Khan had sacrificed whatever he deemed necessary to ensure the safety of his people. Though he had been fooled more than once, he never lost a man or woman until now. No one was deceiving him this time. The air was tinged with their blood and tears.

Khan designated a few of his people to begin digging graves while everyone else was ordered to pack only as much as they could carry of their belongings for an evacuation off of Ceti Alpha V. The reason for deserting their home was not kept secret. They were sitting ducks to Klingons and were in the line of fire for a planet doomed to die. There was little to leave behind and therefore few of Khan’s people voiced any regret for their displacement, even if they felt it. Meanwhile, the dead Klingons were thrown into a pile at the edge of the woods as meat for the indigenous animals that lurked out there.

Kirk and his crew offered whatever help the augments were willing to take, which was little to nothing. The only thing they could not accomplish on their own was proper medical care and they submitted themselves to McCoy’s good hands. Khan, surprisingly, was one of the augments who allowed medical attention for himself for the cut that reached across half of his face. Once cleaned and sealed, it left a rather glaring line from his cheekbone, across his temple, and over his ear.

The 27 dead were put into graves that were each marked by a stone, scrap wood, anything to signify where their heads lay. The mounds of rock and dirt and the markers that crowned them painted an eerie sight in the cold blue light of the dawn that approached. As the sun began to rise over the tops of the mountains on the horizon, it almost seemed that those sleepers would rise too. But the silence surrounding them was all the reality that was needed.

The survivors, once they were packed and prepared to leave their home, all gathered together around the fresh graves. Kirk and his landing party stood at a respectful distance from the service, near enough to hear the quiet sobs of a few augments, but far enough to give them room to grieve. To Jim, these were no longer genetically engineered warriors, they were simply people who were suffering wrongly.

Khan solemnly stood among them. He didn’t take higher ground for his podium, nor did he take any place at the head of the gathering. Everyone was silent, all eyes that weren’t blinded by tears on him. Marla looked to the graves, though, as she stood close beside her husband, her arms wrapped tightly around one of his. He let her cling to him and his voice reverberated through the still morning air.

“Here we bury our beloved dead… and with them what empire we had built. But are we not familiar with loss? Are we not accustomed to the sting—the bleeding wounds left behind when we are struck down time and time again? For every wound we suffer we grow more callous and impermeable. When we are displaced, we carry with us our strengths and are not weaker for it. It is in that way that we endured our last exile and will do it again—I know this. Though we are survivors it is difficult to not look here upon the new beds of those we loved and wonder if they are not the fortunate ones. _Their_ fight is over, they have found the permanent resting place that we are always denied. We are forced to the stars without them and our burden is less for their absence… but never has it felt so great. Those who lie here have fought beside me when the rest of the world was against us, and lying with them are the young whose greatness this universe will never know…”

A pained silence fell as the mourners looked to the smallest graves and Khan allowed the pause.

“It is for them that we will endure. Humbled as we are by this defeat, do not let it diminish your anger. It is precisely because we are driven off that I know our fate is not to prosper here. Our legacy is meant for more than one rock in this vast and expanding space. Though the field be lost, we have our unconquerable will. Say your farewells. We leave in one hour.”

With the service concluded, Khan was the first to move. Marla let go of him as she stayed, staring solemnly at the graves in a sort of trance. He went first to Joaquin, who stood with his son at Amy’s grave, and gave the man a firm but comforting squeeze to the shoulder.

Kirk could see the pain in Joaquin’s very posture, in the rigidity of his spine and the hanging of his head. The boy tried his best to contain his sorrow as well as his father did, but was less successful. He quietly hiccupped with sobs, his hands continually wiping away the tears from his cheeks as if he was angrily swatting flies. Khan lingered with his friend for only a moment before he turned and made directly for Kirk.

“We will beam up the wounded first,” he said decisively. “Once they’re onboard, we’ll begin transporting the rest.”

“Agreed,” Kirk said with a firm nod.

Jim had been in command long enough to know the pain of losing even one person. To lose so many at once, however, and to have been unable to protect them… There was no physical injury to match the pain inside and the torturous questions of what _should_ have been done, what _should_ have been foreseen. In his own way, he could sympathize with Khan. But no amount of shared experience allowed him to find the right thing to say.

Before Khan had a chance to walk away, Kirk added. “I’m sorry for your loss…”

Khan only looked at him, not blinking, and not reacting. “There is someone who should be sorry, Kirk. It’s not you.”

Jim knew that need for blame well, and though he usually directed it at himself, Khan was not so self-deprecating. Kirk let him walk away without another word. McCoy, who had been standing close by, inched closer once Khan was gone.

“Y’ do remember what happened the last time he was on our ship angry and vengeful, right?”

That was one reminder Jim didn’t need. Resisting the urge to sigh, he only looked at the doctor wearily. “Just beam up and prep sick bay. You’re going to have a few patients to take care of on the voyage.”

“Of course…” the grumpy doctor resigned and pulled out his communicator. “ _Enterprise_ , McCoy here…”

His voice faded off as he strolled away to take care of all things medical. Jim had already given the orders for personal quarters to be prepared on the ship for their ninety something guests and needed only to start beaming them up. All he could do now was watch the augments dissipate from the mass gravesite to begin picking up the pieces that they wished to carry along.

 

* * *

 

 

As Marla stood over the graves she wondered why she wasn’t one of them. She was common, inferior. They were rare and magnificent, some of them so young. So much hell had been caused an endured for the sake of these people just for them to be cut down in the night and without warning.

“Stop pretending this means anything to you.”

The voice cut deeper than the frosty air and Marla didn’t have to turn to the figure beside her to know that it was Kati. The woman hadn’t spoken directly to her in nearly a year, and though it surprised Marla, she wasn’t happy for the sudden acknowledgment. In truth it took everything she had not to shrink away like a kicked dog.

“I’m not pretending anything,” she replied crisply, but quietly.

“I think you are,” Kati didn’t raise her voice above a quiet murmur, but it was flat and cold. “You’re the only one who’s lost nothing here. You didn’t have any children to lose. You still have your husband. You never really had friends here. And now you’ll be going back out into space to be back among your own kind, with what’s familiar to you. You’ve lost nothing, Marla.”

Marla’s own throat was constricting around itself with each hateful word that Kati spoke. She was ashamed to have no retort because Kati wasn’t wrong. She was brutally right about all of it.

“You haven’t spoken to me in months…” Marla said quietly, her voice hard with defense. “Why now?”

“Because now everyone has seen where Khan’s brought us and that he is no longer the leader for us. After what he did to my husband others saw it, too. And now, after this… the rest see it. You can tell your husband that we trust Captain Kirk’s word enough to leave this planet. But we will never trust Khan’s enough to follow him anymore.”

Marla turned just as Kati walked away, her cloak swinging around her legs as it hung from the swell of her stomach. Her gait was strong, more determined than Marla expected with the air so heavy from sorrow.

Kati had never been silent about her opinions of Khan and his leadership. But this sudden shattering of their life on Ceti Alpha V set the precedence for such an unknown future that anyone was liable to do anything—even Khan.

Finally, with a quiet goodbye to the dead, she went home one last time. By the time she arrived, all the wounded who had been housed there were gone—beamed up to the medical bay of the _Enterprise_ and the watchful eye of Dr. McCoy. The icy chill that came with the morning had crept into the house, mixing with the lingering smell of blood that was made all the more obvious in the frigid silence that filled it. For the first time in years, this place reminded her of outer space. It was repelling, unwelcoming. It didn’t feel like the home that they had built together.

She was standing in the doorway staring, but she didn’t know for how long until footsteps stirred her from her thoughts. Khan had been in there the whole time, finally packing his own bag after everyone else had already done so. She thought to tell him about Kati and her usual threats. But he knew. He was already aware of Kati’s dissention and the cracks that were appearing in his people’s morale. There were enough things to weigh down on him that had grown so exponentially in the past day that Marla wouldn’t add to the burden. But she was going to watch Kati carefully.

So, Marla didn’t say a word as she, too, began to pack. She still had her Starfleet bag from when she came here and she first filled it with what few clothes she owned—some that she had brought with her, some that had since been made from scratch. There was a little room left in her bag and she knew exactly what would go there: Their books.

This tiny library had once been hers, an obscure collection of ancient books. She whiled away numerous nights in her academy days daydreaming in these pages, living in a romanticized past. Their link to the past made them treasures to Khan as well and the two of them had spent many hours reading together and to each other from those delicate pages.

She had never gotten a better insight to Khan’s wonderful mind than when she heard him discuss literature, peeling it apart and arguing with it, sympathizing and criticizing. There was nothing more beautiful to her than the fiery look in his eye when he spoke with such passion for letters and ideas that had been passed down for centuries—human ideas that his entire being had been built on.

She took the volumes down two or three at a time and gently put them into the bag. As she pulled down _Paradise Lost,_ a piece of paper slipped out of it and fluttered to the floor away from her. It landed at Khan’s feet.

He stopped in his packing to pick it up, his eyes dipped to look at it. Though she had forgotten it existed until now, she knew what it was instantly. It was a secret note she had written him years ago, around when they first met. All it said was _‘I’ll do anything you ask’_. It was more than a declaration of love, it was a declaration of treason against Starfleet.

“I almost wish you’d never given me this…” His voice was low, regretful. “It’s brought you nothing but misery…”

The books that were in her hands were set down and she closed the space between them to put her hand over the old note that fixed his gaze. “Yes, I have suffered a lot because of you.”

Multi-colored eyes flickered up to her almost with surprise to hear her agree, but not angrily.

“But I’ve also been happier in these past few years with you than I ever could have been without you. I willingly gave up an empty life for you.”

“Willingly?” The word rolled off his tongue with some skepticism. “As I distinctly recall, I demanded it.”

“You can demand a lot of things, but that doesn’t mean you’ll always get it,” she forced a smile with the subtle tease. “I gave it up willingly, Khan. And whatever happens from here on, I’ll still do anything you ask.”

He only sighed, and for the first time since Captain Kirk landed on their planet, Khan’s head began to look too heavy for his shoulders. She hoped he was finally beginning to react, to express what damage had been done to him in all of this tragedy. The only indication of the night’s battle that showed on him was in the cut that graced his cheekbone.

Closing his eyes, he took in a deep breath and lifted his chin again. She had never felt so disappointed to see him put on a show of strength. As he looked to her, however, there was still tenderness in his gaze.

“Finish packing, my love…” he murmured as he pulled her into an embrace and placed a soft kiss to her temple. “We won’t be coming back, should you forget anything…”

He let go of her to turn away, but she held his hand tightly. “Khan…”

It was on the tip of her tongue to ask if he was okay. To tell him it’s fine to show how he’s feeling. But she realized that if he was trying to be strong, to get his people off a planet that was doomed to die, then she shouldn’t compromise it. They needed him to keep it together. Instead, she pressed her face into his collar, closing her aching eyes as she huddled against him.

Not a word needed to be said. His arms wrapped around her again, warmly and comfortingly. This was what she needed more than anything at the moment, to be needy and vulnerable. And as he always did without fail, he let her. Her chest felt like it was collapsing with the need to cry. Her lashes were getting wet, she could feel the tears welling up.

No. She wouldn’t do that to him. He carried the weight of everyone’s sorrow on his shoulders, he didn’t need her soaking him in tears.

Slipping gently out of his arms, she quickly wiped her eyes and turned back to her packing, to hide her face so that he couldn’t see. She picked up the books again, and like delicate china, began to tuck them into her bag. Without looking back to him, they both packed their things in silence, collecting fragments of the place that once had some semblance of a home for them.


	14. Chapter 14

“It’s a wee bit heartbreakin’, this…” Mr. Scott said under his breath.

The Scotsman stood beside the transporter controls, watching but not operating as the augment colonists were beamed up a handful at a time. A few security personnel were on standby, ready to escort the new guests to their temporary quarters. This was something that was planned for ahead of time when Jim told them they were going to Ceti Alpha V, but Uhura had hoped this was a contingency that wouldn’t be used. All the while, these people had to be regarded as regular human colonists. Under no circumstances were they to be referred to as the lost augments of the _SS Botany Bay_.

No one in the crew, apart from the privileged few, were allowed to know who these people really were. It was a gamble, of course, but every undertaking led by James T. Kirk usually was. Jim himself opted to stay on the planet with Khan until the last of the colony was safely on board.

“Mind you,” Scotty spoke loud enough for only her to hear as she stood close beside him, “I’ve no love for this lot. Not after all the damage they did to m’poor ship...”

“Well, some of that damage was from the captain, too…” She wasn’t really throwing Jim under the bus. But he did order the transporter destroyed to keep Khan from using it. Remembering just how close they came to being murdered by Khan _again_ had her hugging herself subconsciously. “I don’t know how I feel about any of this either, to be honest…”

Scotty suddenly puffed his chest a bit. “Ye needn’t worry, lass. Ye can count on there bein’ extra security measures taken in all operations o’the ship to make sure we’re one step ahead of anyone with any bad ideas.” He smiled confidently to her, even offering up a wink.

His attempt to make her feel better worked like a charm and she smiled back at him. “I don’t doubt it, Scotty.”

“Ready to beam up next party,” one of the transporter operators interrupted.

Scotty leaned over the comm. “Transporter standin’ by, cap’n.”

“ _Energize_ ,” Jim’s voice came through.

The nodules of the transporter faded in and out as the party that was locked onto was safely broken down, their molecules reassembling on the platform as they materialized. This particular group had four men, three women, and four children, each person carrying their belongings. Though they looked exhausted, some a little ragged, and some with visible wounds from the recent battle, Uhura was in awe of just how indomitable they all appeared. It was probably pride that kept them so stern and unfazed, but these augments always seemed prepared for anything. Even the children, though wide-eyed with curiosity and confusion, never faltered in their steps or seemed to flinch.

Both Uhura and Scotty watched as the group was escorted out, like the ones before, to be assisted in settling in to their new home on the ship. Scotty was shaking his head.

“Almost a pity we don’t have those cryo-tubes…”

“They haven’t shown any hostility,” Uhura argued calmly. “And if there was a definite threat, I don’t think the captain would be so willing to do this.”

Scotty’s face was as skeptical as she felt about her own words. But she wanted to believe in Jim’s plan.

“I cannae help worryin’,” he admitted. “Ye never can tell what’s goin’ on in that Khan’s head… When I helped him and Kirk onto the _Vengeance_ , Khan was as calm as cucumber in a cucumber patch. I wouldn’t ‘ave known he was the enemy if Jim hadn’t clued me into it… Or until he knocked me over the head and popped Admiral Marcus’s like a grapefruit...”

She could see him contain a shudder. Uhura had always been a little thankful that she didn’t see what happened on the _USS Vengeance_ _’s_ bridge that day.

“I just worry for Jim,” Scotty went on. “All it takes is one second of Khan thinkin’ yer the enemy an’ yer dead. The two don’t exactly have a pretty past together, there’s a lot o’ bad blood between ‘em.”

She forced in a deep breath. “And you did such a good job comforting me earlier…”

Scotty suddenly gaped like a fish, his face wrinkling with anguish. “Oh, lass, I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean… I meant what I said though, you’ll be perfectly safe ‘ere, I promise ye that!”

She softly chuckled. “It’s okay, Scotty. I’m fine…” Now she felt bad for flustering the poor engineer and she lightly touched his arm to try to calm him down. “I think we’re both just worrying ourselves more than we should.”

Letting out a deep breath he nodded and smiled. “Yer right. I’ve come too far not t’ be trustin’ Captain Kirk now.”

“Next party ready to beam up, sir,” said the red shirt.

Before Scotty could reach for the comm, the bosun whistle sounded.

“ _Bridge to Commander Scott_ ,” Mr. Leslie’s voice came through the comm.

Scotty patched himself to the bridge. “Scott ‘ere.”

“ _Sir, Shuttle One is back and requesting permission to dock in the hangar bay._ ”

Scotty’s face lit up as he looked over his shoulder to Uhura. She could feel her own heart palpitating against her ribs.

“Permission granted—let ‘em in!”

“ _Aye, sir._ ”

Spock was back!

Since she wasn’t on duty at the moment, she didn’t bother to wait for permission to leave. In fact, she forgot to even say goodbye to Scotty as she darted out of the transporter room. Boots carried her down the curved corridors of the ship and she stomped breathlessly into the turbolift. It moved down and from side to side as it carried her towards the shuttle bay.

When she arrived, the shuttlecraft was just touching down inside, the enormous doors of the hangar bay sliding shut and sealing out the vacuum of space. As soon as she was cleared to enter, she bolted through the door and into the hangar.

Her chest rose and fell as she watched the door slowly open. The first to appear was the youthful face of Chekov, his brow furrowed with what might have been worry. But when he saw Uhura, a bright smile flashed across his face.

“Vell, eef I’d known you missed me zat much I vould have brought you some... eh… rocks,” his nose wrinkled. “Zat’s all there was. Rocks. Lots of rocks… And a wery, wery large hole.”

She laughed, being one of the few people to ever find the Russian funny. That little joke was enough for him to earn a hug from her. “I’m glad you’re okay, Pavel.”

“Zat makes two of us.”

The crooked smile he gave was a bit odd, but at the moment she was far too distracted. Her eyes were pulled to the shuttle’s door when a blue shirt appeared in it. Spock, with his usual straight posture and direct demeanor was descending the short steps. He noticed her the instant his boot touched the ground and he paused. The sternness softened just a bit, those dark eyes showing the smile that he would prefer to die over rather than show. It was enough for her.

Because he wouldn’t, she smiled brightly and moved around Chekov to throw her arms around her Vulcan’s neck. His hands fell on her waist. She knew he hated it, but she squeezed a few more seconds out of him before letting go and giving him the distance he preferred while other people were around.

“That was unfair you know,” she pretended to be cross with him.

His pointed brows knitted together with bewilderment.

“Landing on that planet with all that interference,” she clarified, “where I had no way to monitor your frequency.”

“I can assure you, your concern over no communication was by no means one-sided.”

That was Spock’s way of saying he was worried, too. She wanted badly to kiss him and muss his ever-perfect hair, but duty took precedence and she respected his Vulcan need for privacy. She would have to wait.

“Has the captain returned to the ship yet?” he asked.

“Not yet. He’s still on the planet until the last of the colonists beam on board.”

At that moment, Sulu was finally emerging from the shuttlecraft and he approached them. He had the same frown of concern that Scotty seemed to have a hard time wiping off. “So, they’re beaming up right now? All of them?”

“Yes,” she said as indifferently as she could. “We’ve got most of them here already. Quartermaster is getting them settled in and organized.”

The helmsman sucked in a tense breath and looked askance to Spock, who showed no reaction. No one needed to say it aloud, and she was glad when they didn’t. Scotty did a good enough job speaking for them all on the matter and she preferred not to think about it too much.

“Mr. Sulu, Mr. Chekov,” Spock said crisply. “Please complete your reports and have them ready for the captain’s perusal. Afterward, you are relieved from duty.”

“Yes, Meester Spock.”

“Yes, sir. See you around, Uhura.”

She nodded a friendly farewell to both men as they tiredly stalked off together.

“I’ll go the transporter room to meet Captain Kirk when he returns,” Spock informed quietly and also headed for the hangar’s exit.

Uhura walked with him, doing her best to watch Spock’s every mannerism in the limited vision of her peripheral. She knew as well as he did that meeting Kirk meant meeting Khan. But if anyone was the cool cucumber in a cucumber patch of Scotty’s imagination, it was Spock. The briskness of his walk gave him away, though. He was wasting no time in getting there and she had to skip a couple of times to keep up with his long stride.

When they reached the transporter room, they had to step aside as a cluster of augments were led into the corridor. A couple of them took particular notice of Spock, their eyes locking with recognition of the face that was rather hard to forget (what with those ears and that hair). Spock didn’t so much as blink as he looked right back at them. Not a word was uttered by anyone as they filed past, following their red shirted escort. Spock led the way into the transporter room and Scotty grinned at him.

“Mr. Spock! Mighty glad to see ye alive an’ well!”

“Mr. Scott,” the first officer greeted simply. “How many more are left for beaming?”

“Enough t’ count on yer fingers.”

Spock quirked a brow. “Enough, therefore, to provide a specific number, I imagine.”

Scotty scoffed lightly, but still smiled a little. “Aye… It’s nine. Ten with the cap’n included. We’re standin’ by for his word.”

“Thank you, Mr. Scott,” Spock said dryly.

Uhura stared at the empty platform, and only now did it truly strike her that Khan was coming. Any moment now he was going to appear on that transporter. Though there was security lined up in the transporter room, it didn’t make her feel much better. If only they could have gone the rest of their lives without crossing paths with that maniac again…

“ _Enterprise, Kirk here!_ ” Jim’s voice rang through. “ _Ten to beam up._ ”

“Energize!” Scotty gave the command.

The bodies materialized, the glistening apparitions fading from opaque lights to solid organic bodies. And there they were: Captain Kirk standing with Khan Noonien Singh, Marla McGivers, and the last of his people. Uhura was mildly surprised to see Marla, even though there was every reason to expect to see her there. Khan nearly sacrificed everything for this woman, once upon a time. There was a fresh cut on the augment leader’s face, his hair a little longer and less trimmed than she recalled, making him look as feral and ferocious as she always imagined him to be inside. But in spite of that savagery, she recognized the cold intelligence in his unnervingly keen eyes.

Jim stepped carefully off the transporter and she noticed he held his arm particularly close to his side. It was no wonder, considering the dark stains of blood that coated his tunic and field jacket. She heard that he was wounded in the Klingon attack, and though it didn’t look serious, she could tell by the lack of movement in his usually animated body that it must have hurt.

“Spock!” He was smirking as he approached his Vulcan friend and with his good arm gave Spock a hard slap to the shoulder, followed by a hearty squeeze. “You made it back in one piece!”

“Clearly in a more favorable piece than yourself, captain.”

“It’s not that bad,” Jim said lightly as he stiffly slipped off his jacket and handed it off to a yeoman. Contrary to his statement, he clutched at his collar where the blood stains were the darkest.

Uhura looked past the captain and watched as Khan descended from the platform with a straight-backed regality that was all-too-familiar. There would be no humility from the likes of him, she knew.

“Spock, Uhura, Scotty, I’m sure you remember Khan and Marla.” Jim practiced all formalities, encouraging civility between his crew and his guests.

“Of course,” Uhura said shortly. She felt that the less she said, the less she would express.

Scotty seemed to follow the same policy as he gave a nearly whispered, “Aye…”

The other augments that had beamed up with them were guided out of the transporter room while Khan and Marla stayed behind. Khan took a step nearer, a look of intrigue in his eye as he looked between Uhura and Spock. Finally, he seemed to take notice of the Scot as well.

“Well…” The word rolled out of him like distant thunder. “This certainly is an unexpected reunion. I am met with all of the commanding officers of the _USS Enterprise_ who have ever managed to strike me down.”

That was an observation that Uhura hadn’t made until now. While that detail should have intimidated him, Khan looked nothing but amused.

“Referring to it as a ‘reunion’ denotes that in our history together we had been anything but divided,” Spock replied coldly. “Therefore, as you had put it, those of us present have indeed successfully struck you down and we are more than capable of doing it again.”

“Which—” Jim interjected loudly, blues shifting to Spock with warning, “—won’t be necessary. Right, Khan?”

Uhura didn’t like the way that Khan was staring so steadily at Spock. Or the fact that Spock was matching it.

“Idle threats are unbecoming of your kind, Mr. Spock.” Khan ignored Kirk. “It’s such a _human_ trait.”

“It is neither ‘idle’ nor a ‘threat’. It is a fact that you are clearly and foolishly skeptical of.”

“My skepticism stems from fact, not foolishness. When I say you have managed to strike me down, I oversimplify the circumstance in which you succeeded in doing so—it was by chance and with _help_.” There was a silver hue in Khan’s eyes as they suddenly shifted to Uhura. He clearly remembered her shooting him repeatedly with a phaser on stun.

“In victory you would congratulate yourself for exploiting opportunities, and yet in defeat you cry foul and consider your loss due to chance and not your own error.”

“Spock, that’s enough.” Jim was stepping forward now, positioning himself as if ready to wedge between the Vulcan and the augment.

Uhura found herself taking a step back as Khan’s nostril twitched.

“You want to speak of error?” Khan hissed.

“Khan…” Marla moved towards him, but he didn’t acknowledge her.

“My error, Mr. Spock, was not aiming a fraction of a degree to the right when I blasted that rifle from your hand on Kronos. _My error_ was not throwing you from that freight in San Francisco because I found far too much satisfaction in beating you raw.”

“In that I am compelled to agree,” Spock said calmly. “You _were_ in error.”

“Fortunately,” Khan’s voice rumbled and he took yet another step nearer to the Vulcan. “Those mistakes are easily remedied.”

Marla started forward and leaned in close to Khan, her brow furrowed as she looked reproachfully at him. “Are you seriously going to threaten one of the people who are helping us?”

“I’m certain we are all aware that simply because we are helping you, that does not eliminate the presence of threats, spoken or otherwise,” Spock said with that subtly cheeky tone of his.

“That goes for you too!” Marla snapped at the first officer.

Uhura felt a bubble of anger rise when the redhead scolded Spock as if he was on the same childish emotional level of Khan.

“I think there’s only a small number of people in this room who can honestly say they’re above threats…” Uhura regarded Marla coldly, remembering all too well the sabotage she conducted on the _Enterprise_ all those years ago.

Marla met her gaze, her jaw clenching tightly. The woman had more to say, Uhura could tell. But the tension was beginning to mount and the Captain no longer abided it.

“Okay,” he said with forced calm. “Where the threats and finger pointing starts, this conversations ends. I want to make it clear right here and now that any petty feuding won’t be tolerated on my ship. We made a truce six years ago and it still stands. _Play nice._ ” The captain’s blue eyes were crystal sharp as they flashed to Spock, looking hard at him until the Vulcan gave an almost imperceptible nod.

“Yes, captain.”

“I do wonder if the half-breed can control his emotional outbursts…” Khan sneered.

“Khan, the captain was talking about you, too.” Marla spoke quietly to her husband, but Uhura caught every word and could see the annoyance on her face.

Marla’s attempt to keep her hurricane of a husband in check made Uhura feel a tad guilty for antagonizing her. But it was hard to be friendly towards the likes of either of them.

Kirk waved a couple of security officers towards him and they scurried to his side and stood at attention. “Khan, these men will take you and Marla to your quarters. I’ll check in on you in a few hours to see how you’re settling in.”

Khan’s eyes glanced over the red shirts with such disinterest that Uhura doubted he even really saw them. But he nodded to Kirk and placed a hand at Marla’s lower back to guide her towards the door. The security officers briskly walked ahead of Khan and Marla, leading them out of the room and out of sight.

Only when the doors whooshed closed behind them did Scotty exhale, his cheeks puffing and his chest deflated. “I think I sweat out ten pints o’ bodily fluid in th’ past five minutes…”

“If you’re not too soggy, then you can report back to engineering…” Jim was pinching the bridge of his nose tiredly, his eyes squeezed shut. “We’ll be leaving orbit shortly and have a long trip ahead of us. I want a full report on all the damage done from that Klingon ship…”

“Aye, sir!” Scotty was all too happy about returning to the bowels of the ship. With a glance to Uhura, the Scot made a straight exit from the room.

A sigh made Jim’s shoulders rise and fall, but the deep breath made him wince and drop the hand from his nose to his shoulder. He glanced wearily to Spock and began to head for the doors as well. “I’m goin’ to the bridge. You two with me.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Yes, captain.”

She and Spock walked in unison behind Kirk. No one said a word as they passed through the ever-buzzing halls of the ship. Uhura couldn’t take her eyes off of Jim’s back. She couldn’t see his face, but she recognized the hard posture beneath the gold shirt and the concentrated clenching of his fists. He was now the captain of a ship full of trouble and she didn’t envy him, but she was prepared to support him in a heartbeat.

When the three of them stepped onto the turbolift, it took a moment before she realized she was standing in the middle between Spock and Jim. The two tended to keep shoulder to shoulder and the coldness was obvious between them. She knew it was because of Spock’s behavior towards Khan.

“Lieutenant, has Starfleet been notified of the Klingon attack?” Kirk suddenly spoke and she realized he was looking at her.

“Yes, captain. The report’s been passed on to Starfleet Command and they’re expecting you to report as soon as possible. Scotty left out the colony, though, as you ordered,” she made sure to clarify. “They’ll need to know eventually, though, won’t they?”

“Yeah…” the word was half of a sigh as Jim folded his arms. “Maybe it’s wishful thinking, but I’d like to try to get Khan and his people to a new planet before Starfleet even knows about them. I want to keep them off Starfleet’s radar…”

The turbolift came to a smooth stop and opened to the bridge.

“Captain on the bridge!” Lt. Darwin’s rich voice rang out from navigation.

Kirk made a beeline for his chair, as though it was crying for him and Uhura felt the same hint of relief she always felt when he reclaimed the conn. Once upon a time she would have been surprised to learn that Jim Kirk in the captain’s chair would be a source of comfort. Meanwhile, she stole away to communications where her relief slid away.

“Captain…” Spock’s voice was so soft that she almost didn’t hear it. But as she put the receiver into her ear, she nonchalantly peered over her shoulder.

Through the glass panel she could see Spock approaching the command chair.

“I would like to make a full report of the away mission to Ceti Alpha VI at the first opportune moment…”

 Jim, who was handed a PADD by a yeoman, didn’t look up to his first officer. “Write it and send it to me like you always do, Spock…”

"The report requires your consultation first.” Spock was speaking carefully and Uhura knew there was something more to it.

Jim detected it too, she knew, because he finally looked up from the PADD and swiveled his chair towards the Vulcan. There was a beat as the two men exchanged glances, a silent conversation they often seemed to have.

“All right. Meet me in my ready room in fifteen minutes, Mr. Spock…”

“Yes, sir.”

Spock finally seemed content to walk away and return to his own station. Uhura watched his profile, waiting for him to look her way. But he was far too focused on accessing his workstation. Up until now she didn’t have any reason to think there was more to worry about than Khan and his augments. But there had been an awful lot of silence during Spock’s mission and her imagination began to run wild.

“Mr. Leslie,” the captain’s voice drew her attention again. He was handing off the PADD to the yeoman and she saw his yellow sleeve as he leaned a little more comfortably in his chair. “Break us out of orbit and set course for the next sector. Warp factor three.”

 That was a vague heading and a slow speed, but Uhura knew he was just gaining time.

“Aye-aye, sir,” Leslie replied and followed orders without hesitation.

“Be on alert for approaching vessels. That Klingon ship may be coming back for more and this time they won’t be catching us with our pants down...”

He hadn’t even been sitting long and he was already on his feet again. Circling around the chair, he passed by Spock’s station. “I’ll see you in a minute, Spock…” he said quietly. “I’ll be in my office completing that report for Starfleet Command…”

Uhura’s eyes were on Spock, and Spock’s eyes were on Jim until he disappeared from the bridge.

 

 


	15. Chapter 15

_Damn it, Jim!_

Dr. McCoy had told the young captain to report to sick bay as soon as possible and so far all the ship’s surgeon had in his medical bay was a handful of augments getting further treatment for any wounds sustained during the Klingon attack. There was one exception, though. The woman, Kati. She seemed to have avoided any injuries, but McCoy couldn’t help having a professional concern in her pregnancy. She looked to be quite far along and he just wouldn’t feel right if he didn’t get a thorough examination to be sure. Now that she was on the _Enterprise_ , she was officially under his care.

She arrived at sick bay alone and cooperative (which was more than could be said for Jim) and she went where McCoy pointed. The bio-bed was slightly elevated and she reclined on it, tightlipped and stoic, but not resisting his orders.

“So far, you’re both in perfect health,” he murmured, his hand hovering with the tricorder over her belly, his eyes on the readings as they scrolled out. “Not that that’s surprising at all, considering your Super Blood, an’ all that…”

She said nothing and only glanced with caution from his hand to his face. Kati wasn’t someone who had a hard time finding words. Granted, Bones didn’t know this woman, but the angry display she made towards Khan told a lot about her. She wasn’t afraid to speak her mind.

“From the looks of things,” he continued gently, “your baby will be coming in a couple of weeks or so. I wish I could give a more precise date, but with the stress you’ve both undergone and your superior physiology, I really don’t have enough to go on at the moment…”

He finally turned off the tricorder and set it aside. She wasted no time sitting upright and swiveling to let her legs dangle off the side of the bed. He half expected her to get up and walk out, but she lingered. These people were so consumed with pride that he knew she wanted to say something and would give her the time to say it. If he pried, she might clam up. So, he pretended not to notice she was still there and picked up a PADD to sign off on some medical reports and update her newly made file.

“Do you know what it is?” she finally asked in a low voice, her hand resting lightly atop her stomach.

It didn’t take long for him to figure out what she was referring to. Living for 6 years on a planet without any technology meant having babies without being able to determine sex before they were born. Every parent wondered, some needed to know, some didn’t care to know.

“I do,” he said simply, lowering the PADD to give her his full attention. “Would you like me to tell you?”

Her heart rate quickened just a beat on the monitor above the bed and after a deep breath she nodded.

“It’s a girl.”

This fierce woman, who challenged the likes of Khan in front everyone, suddenly smiled, a small tear catching the light in the corner of her eye. For a moment she seemed to have forgotten the sorrow and anger that was so permanently etched into her beautiful features, and to know that he had caused it, made McCoy smile too. This was one of the reasons why he was a doctor. It was also a relief to see after she had so loudly condemned Captain Kirk as the inadvertent cause of the Klingon attack.

There was no verbal ‘thank you’ from her, but the doctor didn’t need it. The look on her face was enough. Without another word, she was sliding off the bed, obviously ready to depart.

“You’re free to go, since you were polite enough to ask,” he quipped, a small smirk on his face.

She didn’t reply and was instead staring away from him, her face hard. McCoy followed her tense gaze and saw Joaquin just approaching. The juggernaut of a man stopped at the foot of the bio bed, bulky arms folding together as he looked from Kati to McCoy.

“You’ve just examined her?”

“Isn’t that what ship’s surgeons do?” Bones said casually with a good dose of sarcasm.

“When is the baby due?”

Though he was speaking to McCoy, Kati bristled and stepped forward. “That’s none of your business, Joaquin.”

Joaquin glared at her. “It’s Lord Khan’s business. And I was speaking to the doctor.” Dark eyes shot back to McCoy expectantly.

McCoy didn’t like the threatening air that just filled his sick bay and he set down his PADD. “Are you the father?” he asked calmly with a quirked brow. He knew this man had just lost his wife, so it was empathy keeping McCoy from being as rude as he wanted to be.

“Certainly not.”

“Then with all due respect, I don’t have to tell you squat. Doctor-patient confidentiality.”

“Just tell me when the baby is due,” he raised his voice, no doubt to add menace. “Don’t try to meddle in our affairs.”

“You’re in _my_ sick bay and on _Captain Kirk_ _’s_ ship.” McCoy mirrored Joaquin’s folded arms. “If there’s any meddling goin’ on here, it’s you my friend. If Khan wants to know this young lady’s business, then he’s outta luck without her consent. If he has a problem with that, you tell him to come talk to _me_.” He jutted a thumb at himself.

As soon as he said it he regretted it. You don’t invite warlords into your office. It was too late, though—he said it. With a hard gulp and a fixed frowned, he was sticking to it.

McCoy’s defiance encouraged Kati (not that she needed it, really) and she lifted her fine chin. “You might also want to tell your precious master that he no longer has authority over us. You should consider that for yourself, Joaquin, and think about whose fault it really is that Amy is dead.”

Joaquin’s nostrils flared as he looked between them. Dropping his folded arms into fists like wrecking balls, he stormed out of the medical bay. Kati scoffed at his departure, but her features softened a bit as she looked to McCoy.

“That was rather stupid of you to antagonize him. Joaquin could smash you like a wad of paper.”

That sentiment didn’t help the good doctor’s digestion and he resisted the urge to wipe at the flop sweat on his brow. “I’m just followin’ regulations and my Hippocratic Oath is all…”

“I don’t feel like this ship is very tightly run on regulations.” She gave a smile that could only be described as devious.

He didn’t want to agree with her because… well, he did. Instead, he shifted the topic. “Why does Khan care so much about your baby?”

Her smile died and he was sure some color flushed out of her face. “Because he wants me dead as soon as it— _she_ _’s_ born. She’s the only reason he hasn’t killed me already.”

McCoy was ready to believe it. Mercy wasn’t exactly a trait he had come to associate with the ex-despot. But this inner conflict among the augments was worrisome.

“Why does he want you dead?”

“One of the most constant things about Khan is how he treats those who are loyal to him. So long as they’re loyal, he’ll kill, die, and destroy for them. But the instant he believes he’s been betrayed, nothing can save you from his wrath.”

“So he thinks you betrayed him?”

She looked steadily at him, beautifully poised. “I did betray him. My husband planned to lead a coup, but…” there was the smallest hitch in her voice as all the pain of the memory was being contained. “Khan found out. He killed my husband and would have killed me too. But to him, my child is a future follower. Khan protects every one of his people, even if that means killing some to do it.” She suddenly inched closer, her voice dropping into an urgent whisper as she stared intently into McCoy’s eyes. “He is going to kill me. Some of our people are on my side, but I don’t expect them to be able to protect me. Will I be safe from him on this ship?”

“Of course you will.” McCoy surprised himself with how sure he was. “I’ll talk with Captain Kirk to make sure the necessary precautions are taken to keep an eye on you. That’s what we have security for.”

Her face softened with relief, though it was still tinged with worry. “You’re not as close with Khan as your captain, are you?”

McCoy’s brow arched and he scoffed. “Closest I’ve ever been or care to be with Khan is purely professional. You can count on neutrality on my part, ma’am.”

She smiled briefly and finally moved away. “I judged you wrong, doctor… I feel much better after talking with you.”

“I’m glad,” he returned the smile. “I endeavor to make Sick Bay a cheery place.”

That was a joke in itself, because he knew the crew actively avoided his medical bay for fear of his cantankerous ways. Speaking of, where the hell was Jim?!

“Am I free to go now, doctor?” She was asking permission this time, a gleam in her eye as she did so.

“You are indeed,” he said with formality. “If you need anything at all, medically or otherwise, I’m a just an intercom away.”

“Thank you, Dr. McCoy,” she said smoothly and swept out of the room with more grace than a hyper-pregnant woman should have been capable of.

 _Medically or otherwise_? How was that professional, Leonard?

Shaking his head, he picked up his PADD to look over the other augmented patients in his care. As soon as things were squared away here, Jim was in for an earful.

 

* * *

 

 

Jim’s shoulder was throbbing and he slouched behind his desk so low that the base of his skull rested on the back of the chair. It hurt to move his left arm where the clavicle had been nicked by a bat’leth. But McCoy’s medicines did a wonderful job keeping him functional. Jim was exhausted to the point that a shower, clean uniform, and two cups of coffee hadn’t revived him. Unfortunately, he couldn’t even consider sleep. There was too much on his mind and he knew it was about to be worsened by whatever it was Spock had to report to him. When his first officer has the need to speak privately about a mission, it was never a good thing.

He had a ship full of unregistered colonists, who would be considered fugitives if anyone knew they were still alive, as well as the man who had once been Starfleet’s most wanted. Something told him this isn’t what Ambassador Spock had in mind when he gave them the information about Ceti Alpha V.

Or maybe it was.

The annunciator at the door of his ready room jolted him from his weary thoughts and he pulled himself to sit appropriately in the chair.

“Come in.”

The door swished open and Spock stepped inside. The door began to close behind him as he approached the desk, but a hand appeared from the outside to keep the door from shutting. McCoy lumbered in without invitation looking like a cat with irritable bowel syndrome.

Oh yeah. Bones wanted him to report to Sick Bay.

 “Well, ya don’t look to me like you’re too busy to check in!” the doctor growled.

“I was just about to see you, Bones,” Jim lied. “I got something to take care of first.” He looked to Spock, brows raising with a silent prod for that discreet report he intended to give.

“If you’re not there within the hour, I’m pulling rank to get you in there,” McCoy pointed a menacing finger and turned for the door again.

“Doctor,” Spock halted him. “It may prove useful for you to hear my report as well. It is certainly worth a discussion that contains all points of views, including your illogical conclusions.”

McCoy looked intrigued and worried all at once, but he glanced to Jim for the final permission.

“Stay, Bones,” Jim waved him back in.

As much as the doctor scared him at times, he didn’t mind having both of his friends there together. Spock hit the nail right on the head about needing all points of view, because Jim sure couldn’t trust his own brain at the moment. McCoy ambled towards the desk and stood beside Spock, unconsciously mimicking the Vulcan’s hands-behind-the-back posture, though with a more prominent hunch.

“Let’s hear it, Spock…” Jim leaned back in his chair and linked his fingers over his stomach.

“I wish to report my findings on Ceti Alpha VI that will be omitted from the official report because of the direct affect it may have on our circumstances. What I have reported thus far regarding the inevitable destruction of the planet is true. However, this information was given to me by the Section 31 agents currently stationed within the planet’s hollow core.”

The words _Section 31_ sent a shot of alarm through the captain and he was quickly sitting up again, eyes wider as he looked up at the calm Vulcan.

“Section 31?” he repeated carefully.

McCoy frowned and looked between them. “Wait, you mean that organization that isn’t supposed to exist?”

“Precisely,” said Spock. “The commanding officer of the facility was Commander Thel. She ensured confidentiality on my part as well as Mr. Chekov’s. Sulu is ignorant of their presence there, and for his own safety, I believe it should remain that way.”

“Agreed,” Jim said quietly. This was going to have to be need-to-know. “What did she tell you? What are they doing there?”

“By her account, Section 31 is occupying the abandoned Tellarite mining operation for use as a covert weapons factory. She claimed to know nothing of the colonists.”

“And you don’t believe her?” Jim could read clearly in the over simplistic explanation from Spock that he had his own conclusions on it.

“No.” The certainty in Spock’s voice made Jim’s stomach feel a little heavier. He let Spock elaborate. “Though I was not able to thoroughly explore the labyrinthine tunnels of the facility, I saw nothing indicative of there being any form of weapon manufacturing within that planet. She said she knew nothing of the colonists, due to the apparent sensor interference surrounding Ceti Alpha VI. And yet, she was able to monitor the situation between the _Enterprise_ and the Klingon Bird of Prey that had attacked it. They had even acquired sensor readings of Ceti Alpha V enough to report with conviction that the Klingon landing party had been destroyed. It is highly unlikely that such readings could be possible without them having any knowledge of the colonists. The discrepancies between their proclaimed ignorance and technological capabilities seem to indicate that they were monitoring the colonists. The secrecy could only suggest that they know exactly who the colonists are but do not wish us to know that they know.”

A sharp pain was slowly driving through Jim’s brain with every word that Spock uttered. As if things weren’t bad enough, Section 31 was not woven into it. All the when’s, where’s, why’s, and how’s were not comforting.

“Mr. Scott’s dealings with the Klingons further proves that more people than ourselves knew about Khan and his people,” Spock went on. “If the Klingons were in fact informed of the augments’ new home by an anonymous source…”

“Then it was probably Section 31 who told them.” Jim concluded it for him, knowing where Spock was going and that the Vulcan hated to make such assumptions with so much speculation.

“That is a possibility.”

“But why?” McCoy’s gruff voice broke in at a higher, flustered pitch. “What would be the God damned point? If they wanted Khan and his people dead, they have a whole planet to blow up to do it. Why send Klingons and let us come here?”

“Sections 31’s motives cannot possibly be determined with so little information,” Spock said simply. “All we know for certain is their involvement. Captain…” Spock’s voice drew Jim’s eyes from their ponderous stare. “It was my intention to inform you before Khan was made aware of them. His history with them is tumultuous and he is prone to volatile emotional outbursts when he is threatened.”

“We got more than Section 31 to worry about…” Bones mumbled into his hand as it scratched the stubble on his cheek.

“Doctor?” The Vulcan looked to him curiously.

Bones sighed heavily and let his hand drop. “Well, you saw some of it for yourself, Jim. Not all of Khan’s people are keen in following him—namely that Kati. I just had her in for an examination when who shows up to find out my prognosis on her pregnancy? Khan’s right hand man, Joaquin. According to her, her pregnancy is a countdown to her execution. I figured… since she’s liable to have that kid on this ship, it’s our duty to make sure Khan doesn’t try anything.”

Jim listened carefully with a furrowed brow. “You mean _if_ he tries anything. Kati obviously has it out for Khan, maybe we should get both sides of it before we pick just one, don’t you think?”

 McCoy’s eyes widened slightly with surprise. “Yeah, Jim _I do_.”

There was more than enough insinuation in McCoy’s tone to make his meaning clear. He thought Jim was biased.

“All I’m saying is you don’t know her and you can’t believe everything she does—or doesn’t—tell you. Either way, I’ll have a security detail keep an eye on her. Does that satisfy you, doctor?”

“Yeah, it does…” the doctor grumbled. “I gotta get back to work. If I don’t see you in my sick bay within the hour—”

“Yeah, I know.” Jim waved a dismissive hand. “You’ll pull rank.”

“Damn right I will…” he growled as he turned on his heel and disappeared out the door.

 Jim pinched his eyes closed with the sudden migraine that seemed to squeeze them and he lightly massaged his temple.

“I suggest you get some rest, captain,” Spock said quietly. “I will be on the bridge.” There was an unspoken _if you need me_ tacked onto that statement.

“Hang on, Spock…” Jim said abruptly when the Vulcan began to turn. Spock gave his full attention again and Jim looked up at him tiredly. “I want to apologize.”

Spock’s pointed eyebrows knitted together and his head canted slightly.

“For not including you in the away team,” Jim explained. “I didn’t mean to insult you, I just…” he couldn’t find a way to justify it and alleviate his guilt.

“There is no need to apologize where there was no insult, captain,” Spock said calmly. “You made the correct decision according to your command. I believe we both know that my behavior towards Khan in the transporter room more than justified the decision you had to make.” There was a pause. “You were right, Jim.”

Those were words that Kirk never got tired of hearing, whether it was being right or being referred to informally by his Vulcan friend. And yet, he couldn’t find his smile.

“I should have shown a little more faith in you, Spock. And I’m sorry.”

“Faith is only necessary in the absence of logic. In this case, your logic prevailed. Our history with Khan has given me no reason to show him such faith—I will never trust him or be fully capable of monitoring any negative emotions I am in danger of experiencing towards him.”

“I wish I knew just what kinds of emotions I was feeling myself towards that guy…” Jim didn’t mean to say it aloud. But it was true. “Guess I’ll just have to stick to the logic, huh?” He forced a smile.

“To the best of your ability, captain.” Spock’s skepticism was almost playful. Almost.

“Thanks a lot,” he scoffed. “I’m going to try to decide what the hell I’m supposed to report here, then I’ll rest for a bit while I have the chance. Call me the second anything even slightly suspicious pops up, got it?”

“Yes, captain. Enjoy your rest.” Spock turned and swept silently out of the room.

The instant the door closed, Jim’s forehead was thunking onto this desk and he groaned.

What the hell have they gotten into this time?

 

* * *

 

 

Hours had passed since they beamed aboard the _USS Enterprise_. It was somewhat chaotic at first as the augments were sent to and fro from Sick Bay and their new quarters. Marla had lost track of Khan in the madness of helping everyone settle in. Her body ached to stop, and yet when there no longer seemed to be anything left for her to do, it was difficult to convince herself to retreat back to her own quarters.

She wound up in her room for lack of knowing where else to go, and without intending to do so, she laid out flat on the bed and closed her eyes. The thrum of exhaustion in her body faded into the humming of the ship. She remembered that sound—that feeling of the engines as they carried them through space. It was soothing and familiar and for a moment the past 6 years seemed like a dream.

All the dirt, sweat, starvation, misery, and fear of living in the wilds of Ceti Alpha V were a mere nightmare and she was back to the comfort of a bed, air conditioning, a bathroom, and silence. There were no animals to wake her in the middle of the night—hell, there was no longer even a _middle of the night_ with no sun to set or moon to rise. Life on a starship was full of counterfeit measures of time and it made her feel she had all the time in the universe.

She let herself get swept up in the delusion that she was back to her old life, to the time when she was content with it. Sleep began to weigh her down when the soft hiss of the door woke her abruptly. She turned her head where she lay and saw the one part of the dream she needed to still be real: Khan.

He moved quietly, seeming to think she was asleep, and made directly for the bathroom. Her body screamed at her to stay in bed, but she was rolling onto her feet and stepping lightly to the open door.

Khan was standing over the spotless sink, calloused hands resting on the edge of the counter and his shoulders pointed sharply as his head hung from them. He was staring at the faucet, the buttons that controlled the water, and the panel of switches for the other functions of the small bathroom. He knew how to work these things, she knew he did. But the distant and distracted look in his eye bordered on disdain.

She moved behind him and wrapped her arms around his lithe waist. He started at her touch, but let out a sharp exhale.

“I thought you were sleeping…” he said quietly, his hands clasping over her smaller arms.

“I think I forgot how to sleep in bed alone…” she murmured into his back where she pressed her cheek. She couldn’t help closing her heavy eyes. “How’s everyone doing?”

“As well as can be expected…” he said vaguely. “Are you all right?”

“Tired…”

He gently pried her off and gathered her up in his arms. She practically floated into his embrace, pressing her face into his neck as he carried her back to bed. She didn’t even feel the impact of her body meeting the mattress he had set her down so carefully. And it wasn’t until he took hold of her feet one by one that she remembered she still had her boots on and that he was taking them off.

Keeping her eyes open was impossible. She only heard the distant sounds of his movement as he set her boots aside and began to disrobe himself for the night. He was going to rest with her and it made her smile. At least she thought she was smiling, she was half-sleeping and may have been snoring for all she knew.

She could feel the mattress shifting and sinking in front of her as he crawled into bed, pulling her in. It almost felt like any other night that they would go to bed after a long day. They had pillows, but just like in their old home, her head was most comfortable on his arm. They had blankets, but the warmth she needed was curling into him, his other arm draped over her waist. This way she could feel the rise and fall of his chest, the tickle of his breath on the top of her head. This was all she needed to be at home. She didn’t need a house built on Ceti Alpha V or a room in a starship.

“I love you…” the words drawled out of her.

Marla knew there were so many things she wanted to talk with him about that she had no time to in the midst of this upheaval. It could wait. They were safe, for now, and together.

“And I love you…” he whispered.

She sank into sleep.

 

 


	16. Chapter 16

 

Her back and joints popped uncomfortably when she woke up. She had no idea how long she had been asleep and expected to find herself alone in the bed. Within moments of waking, however, she realized her head was on something familiarly warm and it rose and fell slowly.

Craning her stiff neck, she lifted her head from his chest to look at him. Khan was lying on his back, his eyes open but far away in his own thoughts. Had he slept at all? Pushing herself upward, she placed a kiss on his jawline. His eyes fluttered in response, bringing him back to reality and she felt his hand slide up her back.

“I would say good morning, if we had any sun to greet…” he said quietly.

“Good morning anyway,” she smiled sleepily. “There’s always a sun rising somewhere…”

The positivity was a little forced, but she felt they both needed it. As the fog of sleep began lifting from her brain, she remembered piece by piece of what had happened to them and where they were now. She remembered what Kati had said to her just before they left Ceti Alpha V.

“Khan, there’s something I need to talk to you about…”

Reluctantly, she sat upright, her not-so-attractively mussed hair hanging about her face and shoulders. He stayed on his back, those multi-colored eyes tired but following her keenly. He didn’t prod her to speak and patiently allowed her to find the words. He was so calm it was hard to believe that he was just dispossessed of an entire world. She didn’t want to disturb this rare serenity in him, but she knew she couldn’t keep it to herself.

“It’s about Kati—”

He exhaled sharply and closed his eyes. There goes the calm.

“I’m worried that she’s going to do something,” she went on. “We’re not on Ceti Alpha V anymore. She might try to pick up where she and Hans left off.”

“Hans was a fool and so is she if she forgets what happened to him—and _why_.”

The reminder of that day made Marla’s insides churn. Every day she found herself wishing that she could forget what happened and what Khan had done.

“We’d be lucky if she did forget…” Marla said. “I just think we need to keep an eye on her.”

“I am already watching her…” he murmured softly, his hand rubbing up and down the length of the arm in which she leaned. “You don’t need to worry.”

But she was worrying. In fact, there was more than just Kati gnawing at her nerves as she looked silently at Khan for a moment. “I don’t want Kati getting hurt either.”

Khan’s hand stopped in its tickling caress at her arm.

“She’s dangerous, but she’s also going to be a mother. If anything happens to her, that baby will be orphaned.” _Because of you,_ the words almost slipped out.

“If the child is orphaned it’s the fault of its treacherous parents.”

“I know you have more mercy in you than that, Khan,” she countered his ice with gentleness.

His chest fell slowly as he breathed out. After a pause, he finally sat up in the bed to meet her eye to eye and long fingers pushed the red strands from her face. The weariness was in his eyes again, but also a defeated adoration.

“What mercy I have in me is all from you…” he murmured. “I won’t lay a hand on Kati. But I _am_ watching her closely.”

If ever there was a compromise, this was it and Marla knew she had to accept it. But his word choice didn’t settle easy with her.

“Please tell me that Joaquin—or anyone else—won’t touch her either.”

He looked confused and she wasn’t buying it for a second. She knew when the great Khan Noonien Singh was playing dumb.

“Khan, for years I’ve seen how you delegate and have Joaquin do your dirty work.”

He smirked and leaned back to eye her approvingly. “I often think you know me better than I know you.”

“I did have three centuries’ worth of material to study up on before meeting you…” she smirked, but squeezed his hand imploringly. “Promise me you won’t let Kati get hurt. Before _and_ after she has the baby.”

He placed his other hand atop hers, his palm warm and enveloping. He leaned in again. “I love you dearly, Marla.... but I don’t trust _her_ enough to make that promise.”

She should have appreciated the honesty, but instead she was frowning and pulling her hand away. “Do you really think—”

Beeping sounded from the wall intercom, immediately turning both of their heads towards it. She had almost forgotten they were on a starship.

Khan was off the bed and crossing the room to the comm where his thumb hit the button.

“Yes?”

“ _The captain requests you in the briefing room as soon as possible. He wishes to have a conference regarding our next heading._ ”

Khan’s head lifted with enthusiasm and Marla felt the same wave of excitement. Kirk wasn’t wasting time in helping them find a new home and it was reassuring.

“I will be there in ten minutes.” Khan wasn’t asking and ended the conversation by walking away from the wall comm.

“Should I come, too?” she asked from where she sat on the disheveled bed.

“That is your choice…” he said just before disappearing into the bathroom where his voice resonated. “If you wish to join, I’m sure the captain can be persuaded to let you…”

The idea of showing up uninvited to a briefing with the captain, even if it was the nonconformist Jim Kirk, made her uncomfortable. She still felt the sting of betraying her uniform. Besides, she had new responsibilities.

“I don’t think I will…” she finally said.

She heard the shower turn on and it was like Heaven calling after six years on a wild planet without plumbing. It took everything in her power not to run from the bed and crowd him beneath the hot stream of water. But she fought the temptation, knowing he was getting ready to meet with their overly generous host for business. Though she couldn’t help the resurgence of a vivid memory of the last time she and Khan were on this ship together and the extremely steamy shower that they shared.

It made her cheeks burn at the thought and she smiled to herself, pulling the blanket around her shoulders. It was conceivable that they would be on this ship for some time. They would just have to share a shower later.

A little more than five minutes later the water shut off and out stepped Khan. Whatever grime of the previous day that etched his features had been washed away, his black hair slicked back, face newly shaven, and all clothes shamelessly foregone as he went for his bag on the floor. Like the other colonists, they had been offered some generic Starfleet clothes, but Khan was retrieving his own cloaks and tunics that had been made over the years on Ceti Alpha V. She knew why he deliberately avoided wearing the Starfleet insignia again and she felt a twinge of guilt for wanting to wear the comfortable material of her old uniform again. For Khan’s sake, however, she wouldn’t give in to her selfish craving for luxury and would also keep wearing her own familiar hand-made clothes, even if they were a little coarse on her skin.

She watched him dress and even preen a little in front of the mirror as he not only made himself presentable, but formidable. With the standing collar of his cloak and the new cut to his cheek, he looked like a warrior king of ancient days. It made something tingle in her spine.

“Do you think you’ll be able to find a world where we won’t be bothered?” she decided to distract herself with conversation.

“There can be no guarantees,” he admitted as he straightened his sleeves. “The Federation’s map of the known universe has grown significantly in our absence.”

“No thanks to Kirk’s five-year mission of exploration, I’m sure…” Why did she feel envious?

“We can safely blame him for a good number of things.” There was a surprisingly warm smile on Khan’s face as he said it. He actually seemed to be looking forward to his meeting with the captain. “What will you do?”

“Me? I think I’ll check in on the children. See how they’re handling all of this. If I’m allowed, I think it will be a lot of fun showing them around the ship.”

He chuckled, knowing as well as she did that they would catch on to the technology more quickly than could be kept up with. “I’ll be looking forward to your regret later…”

He walked to the bed where she was slumped in her blanket and placed a kiss at her temple. With his silent goodbye made, he went to the door, opened it, and was met with a red shirt on each side. He froze and looked from one to the other.

From where Marla was, all she could see were the edges of shoulders, their backs towards the door from obviously standing guard outside of it. She scrambled off the bed, letting the blanket drop to the floor as she scurried up behind Khan. By now, the security men were turning to face them.

“I’m Commander Garrovick,” the taller one said confidently. “Chief of Security. We’re your escorts for as long as you’re on the ship.”

“ _Escorts_.” The word sounded like a curse when Khan repeated it.

“Escorts.” Garrovick snapped back. There was hate in the security officer’s eye, and Marla felt like he was somewhat familiar. “Captain’s orders.”

“Of course…” Khan said with sardonic compliance that was dripping with insult. Without another word to either the red shirts or Marla, he marched out the door between them.

Both men followed him in perfect formation, completely ignoring Marla’s existence. After all that talk of truces and Captain Kirk treats Khan like a petty criminal? Rage boiled up inside of Marla and she forced herself to decide against going straight into that briefing room and throwing a few choice words at the captain. Khan could handle it, she knew. Besides, there were children on board she felt responsible for and Khan and Kirk weren’t among them.

Well… that was debatable.

 

* * *

 

 

“You know….” Jim broke the momentary silence that had fallen between him and Spock as they waited in the briefing room. “I’d really like to know just how much Ambassador Spock knows about all this.”

“There was strong indication that he was aware of Khan’s residence on Ceti Alpha V,” Spock said thoughtfully.

“So you agree.” Jim leaned forward, feeling encouraged now that he knew he wasn’t alone in his thinking. “He was the one who told you how dangerous Khan can be in the first place, why would he want to help him?”

“It would be fallacious to assume that his intentions were to help Khan. Also, he explained how dangerous Khan _is_ , not how dangerous he ‘can be _’._ ”

Spock wasn’t going to let up on his distrust of the augment leader and Jim refrained from rolling his eyes. “Either way, the other you knows things that he doesn’t think are worth sharing… There was just something about the way that he talked about ‘informed decisions’ but manages to leave things out leaving us generally pretty damn uninformed…”

Spock made no reply, but by the subtle lifting of his brows, he seemed to agree. Spock hated secrets as much as the rambunctious captain did, though tended to spend less time talking about it and more time figuring it out in that computer brain of his.

The door to the briefing room wheezed open and Khan strutted inside, a security guard practically perched on each shoulder. Khan’s eyes locked on Jim, his mouth tight. He knew he was going to get the stink eye from Khan, and there it was.

“You can wait outside, gentlemen,” Kirk nodded to the red shirts, who quickly departed and closed the door.

“Guards posted at my door?” Khan’s eyes narrowed. “Was my door locked from the outside as well?”

“No, it wasn’t,” Jim said reassuringly. “Have a seat and coffee.”

Khan didn’t move or correct his head from its accusatory tilt. “I passed by the quarters of my people on my way here and saw no such precautions taken for anyone else—except for one.”

“Yeah, for Kati.”

“I know which room is hers,” Khan snapped. “I would prefer it if you did not interfere in the affairs of my people, Kirk.”

“I’d prefer it if you didn’t get any blood on my ship,” Jim replied calmly without a beat. “Maintenance really hates having to clean it up.”

An almost venomous smirk appeared on Khan’s face. “Oh, I should hate to inconvenience your maintenance crew with my desire for dignity.”

Jim was smirking too now, but perhaps with a little more genuine amusement than his augmented counterpart. “I think we’ve come too far to be talking about dignity, don’t you think?”

Khan’s smirk faded and he finally acknowledged Spock’s presence with a glance, though he still spoke only to the captain. “Did you arrive at this decision for security on your own or were you persuaded by your loyal first officer?”

“You’re persuasive enough on your own, Khan, believe me.”

Khan finally took a short breath of concession, a lid put on all of his boiling responses. “You called me here regarding our next heading?”

‘Our’ next heading. Khan obviously had no problem with getting on board figuratively and literally. Jim decided to take that as a good thing.

“Yes,” he nodded to his first officer.

Spock reached to the touch screen at his elbow to access the computer and open the data from astrometrics. With a few taps, the lights dimmed and a three-dimensional display of their current quadrant spread out like a slow explosion. Khan’s gaze fastened on the image and he finally moved to seat himself on the opposite end of the table. Jim looked through the map, watching as the lines of anger smoothed away from the ex-tyrant’s face, his eyes searching and expectant.

"A rudimentary list of eligible planets has been compiled,” Spock said robotically, looking stubbornly at the map and not Khan. “Candidates for colonization have been selected from the outer frontier where hundreds of systems have been charted but not yet explored. The most unexplored area that is of little interest to Federation thus far would be on the far edge of the Beta Quadrant, near the Delta Quadrant. However, with so little known of that area of space, there will undoubtedly be numerous dangers that cannot be predicted.”

“There are too many planets for us to go over here one by one,” said Jim. “The closer we get you to the Delta Quadrant, the farther from the Klingon Empire you’ll be. We’ll give you a disk with this data to look over on your own, so that you can confer with your people about it, if you so choose.”

“The Delta Quadrant…” Khan seemed to say to himself with a subtle nod. “It does seem promising…”

“We’ll set course for the Delta Quadrant, then,” Kirk said with finality. “The voyage will take some time, though. I’ll get a more accurate estimate from my officers, but I’ll venture to guess it could take upwards of six months at warp eight. That is, if Scotty doesn’t outright protest that kind of strain on the engines…”

“Shall I return to the bridge and establish our new course?” Spock asked with what sounded like eagerness.

It wasn’t like Spock to get excited about anything, let alone taking the conn. So it wasn’t a far stretch for Jim to think that his friend was looking for a reason to leave the room—and get away from Khan. It wasn’t a bad idea.

“Go for it,” Jim said casually, but was sure to meet Spock’s eye with silent understanding.

Spock nodded with equally silent appreciation and rose from his chair. He made a straight line out of the briefing room and the next thing Jim knew he was alone with Khan, the speckled star map separating them. Khan was still studying it and Jim could practically hear his brain retaining and processing the information.

“How’s Marla?”

Khan blinked at the informal question and finally met Jim’s eye through the lit specks that represented planets and stars. “She is coping remarkably well. Of course, I never would have expected less of her. Her greatest concern is the well-being of the children and the sense of purpose it gives her is the best distraction from grief, I suspect.”

“You’re probably right…” Jim murmured. An idea then struck him and he contained a smile. Reaching out he turned off the astrometric display and rose to his feet. “I have a pick-me-up trick of my own known as Saurian Brandy in my office, if you’d like to join me.”

Khan’s face lit up at the prospect of alcohol and it would have been a lie to say Jim wasn’t using it as bait. His motives were selfish but harmless. He wanted to pick Khan’s brain, to see if he could have a civil and stimulating conversation with a man who terrified and inspired people throughout the known galaxy. There was also the dangerous topic of Section 31 that needed to be discussed in a more private setting.

Khan was on his feet, seeming ready for his host to lead the way. Kirk stepped out of the briefing room first and found that Garrovick and the other red shirt waited patiently at their post. Jim almost forgot they were there.

“You two are dismissed until further notice.”

Garrovick didn’t look too happy. But then the man was on board the last time Khan tried to take the ship. Garrovick had breathed in neuro-gas and ended up unconscious on a plasma cutter and was one nipple poorer for it. He didn’t argue with the captain, though, and sauntered off with the other security officer.

By Kirk’s lead, Khan walked beside him down the corridor.

 

* * *

 

"Thank you both for coming here," she said quietly, a smile of appreciation on her face as she looked between Otto and Rodriquez. "I would have called the others, but the fewer who know the better. Also... you two respected my husband more than anyone else."

"What's this about, Kati?" Otto sounded concerned.

"I brought some hawkbill leaves on board with me," she stated simply. It was all she needed to say, really. Ever since they had found the weed, whose leaves resembled that of a hawk’s beak and thus its namesake, every colonist knew how poisonous it was and had found no positive use for the stuff in their stay on Ceti Alpha V. It only meant death.

Otto and Rodriguez shared a glance before Otto turned his attention to her. "What do you plan on doing with it?"

"More like who do you plan to use it on..." Rodriguez said with disapproval.

Kati wasn't afraid to give a straightforward answer to his straightforward question. "Marla Singh."

Neither of them looked surprised, but Rodriguez still seemed irked. "To what end? It won’t make Khan any less a tyrant. It won't bring Hans back."

Kati felt a pang hearing her husband's name and she could feel a violent kick within her belly from the baby who must have felt her pain. She laid a hand on her stomach, pressing lightly to soothe her unborn child.

“Khan is going to kill me,” her voice was level, calm. “I’ve stopped being afraid of him ever since I came to terms with that. So long as I have _her_ , though…” she caressed the swell of her abdomen. “…I’m untouchable. To Khan _and_ Starfleet. Which means there will be less consequence for us all when I get rid of the inferior woman.”

Skepticism wrinkled Otto’s pale face. “But you know what he’s like when he’s enraged. He would kill you before remembering you’re name, let alone that you’re pregnant.”

“Only if he can get to me. You saw the guards outside my door. I’m told there are two more shadowing his every step.”

“This is foolish, Kati. You’ve never been foolish,” Rodriguez said crisply, his Spanish lilt coming out a little sharper. “Think of your baby.”

“She’s part of the reason that I called you both here…” Suddenly, it was difficult to speak. “Otto, you knew Hans well during the wars, and Rodriguez, you’ve been on our side ever since we ended up on Ceti Alpha V. When I’m killed I want you both to take care of my daughter. I’ve come to trust no one as much as I trust you. Make sure Khan doesn’t brainwash her into some blind follower like he’s doing to poor Joachim.”

She could practically see the weight of her request bearing down on their strong shoulders. It was a lot to ask, she knew. But what choice did she have?

“If I kill Marla, it won’t matter how angry Khan will be. He’ll take his rage out on me, when I’m dead anyway, but more importantly Marla will be gone. She’ll no longer threaten to taint our bloodline and she’ll no longer contaminate our family with her rosy Starfleet ideals. Maybe without her, Khan will be the leader we _thought_ we pledged ourselves to. If my betrayal can revert him back, I’ll gladly take the fall. If not, her death will spin him out of control and open him up to be usurped once and for all. Either way, it’ll break this stalemate before the axe falls on me and everyone falls into mindless subjugation again.”

She could see them beginning to come around with every word. All they needed was a reminder of who they were and what they stood for.

“How do you plan to use the poison?” Rodriguez finally asked. There was no doubt in his tone this time. “Are you even going to try to make it look like an accident?”

“I’ve just come back from my second visit to the medical bay. Dr. McCoy has some interesting tools, you’ve no doubt seen…” Reaching into her belt, she produced a hypospray, complete with a cartridge. “With as many patients and personnel as there are in there, it wasn’t that difficult to steal one of these. I saw enough of them being reloaded that I can easily learn on my own how to fill it with my own mixture. They’ll know a hypo was used on Marla and they’ll trace it to me sooner or later. The point is that this will make it fast. This will send it straight to her bleeding heart.”

“Why not just stab her and be done?” Otto suggested.

“Don’t tempt me,” she sighed. “I would love to gut her, and you can be sure I’ll have my knife as a contingency…” she flashed the sharpened blade that was hidden in the folds of her skirt. “But as weak as Marla is, she can still fight. I’ve felt too many contractions since the Klingon attack to risk the stress of a fight…”

Otto nodded his understanding, even if he didn’t look too pleased. “If you’re arrested, at least you’ll be doubly safe from Khan.”

His need for her safety was heartwarming, but she had to include some reality by adding, “Or I’ll be twice as vulnerable.”

There was a brief silence as neither man spoke or even looked at one another. She hoped they weren’t devising more rebuttals. She was resolute.

“When do you plan to do it?” Rodriguez asked at last.

“As soon as you two leave my room. Khan is with the captain and away from Marla. First opportunity mustn’t be ignored.”

They didn’t think it would be so soon, she could tell by their suddenly tense postures.

“In that case,” Rodriguez’s voice was a little strained. “What should we call her?”

No one was trying to stop her and Kati smiled sadly, but gratefully.

 “Nanette.”

 

 


	17. Chapter 17

 

“Somethin’ I can help you with, Mr. Spock?”

The voice was low, but gently gruff and Spock realized Dr. McCoy was standing beside him. Another look and he realized he was standing at the entrance of Sick Bay.

“No thank you, doctor. I was just on my way to the bridge…”

Spock began to walk, but paused when McCoy spoke to his back. “Yeah, I could tell how much of a hurry you were in during the five whole minutes you were standin’ there.”

Spock tried to conceal his embarrassment behind a straight posture and began to walk again.

“If it’s bothering you, there’s no harm in talkin’ about it.” The doctor said casually.

He finally turned to look at McCoy. “Doctor?”

“About You-Know-Who bein’ on board.” McCoy’s arms were folded, one brow quirked as if to emphasize the secret identity of their guest.

He didn’t like how aware the chief medical officer was, and yet… it was welcoming. McCoy had—dare he think it—become his friend over the years. Spock genuinely cared what the good doctor had to say about their current situation. Spock lingered there in silence long enough to give himself away and confirm the doctor’s observations without having to utter a word.

McCoy jerked his head towards the door of Sick Bay. “I’ll be in my office… Not that it matters…”

Spock watched him disappear, waited a moment, then followed. When he entered, McCoy was just settling down behind his desk, taking up a cup of undoubtedly cold coffee, feigning ignorance of Spock’s entrance. The Vulcan didn’t even know how to begin the conversation while keeping his dignity intact. But over the years of voyaging together, it was a little easier than it had been in the past to speak candidly with Bones. And now they had the privacy of his office to speak freely.

“What is your opinion of Khan?” Spock asked.

McCoy shrugged one shoulder as he sipped his coffee. “I have lots of opinions about Khan…” he smacked his lips. “The prevailing opinion, however, is that he’s extremely intelligent and extremely human.”

“Two characteristics that cannot cohabitate without some consequence,” Spock felt compelled to say.

“Well, I suppose most of us would have to give up some of one for the other, which I must say you do very well, Mr. Spock. Not a trace of human when that brain o’ yours gets goin’.”

The doctor was teasing him—Spock recognized the tone. Ordinarily, this was where Spock would thank him for the compliment that he was more of a robot than a man, or turn the jab back at him by saying McCoy (and indeed all other humans on the crew) proved to be more human than intelligent. This time, however, Spock felt a distinct heaviness in the pit of his stomach, which he knew was not of a digestive nature.

“Lately…I have had some… considerable difficulty…” He couldn’t seem to form a coherent sentence.

McCoy was alarmed by Spock’s halted speech and he set his coffee aside, his posture straightening where he sat as large eyes peered up at the first officer.

“…considerable difficulty in distinguishing between intellect and emotion.” Spock finally finished, his face stoic, but his eyes fixed stubbornly on the wall just beyond McCoy’s head.

“What’s wrong, Spock?”

McCoy wasn’t teasing him now and Spock was unsure if he preferred the sobriety to the mocking.

“I have just left the captain alone with Khan in the briefing room.”

“Is that a bad thing?” McCoy quirked a brow, genuinely curious. “The two spent quite some time alone together when we were on Ceti Alpha V, no harm done.”

“If I am to be completely honest, doctor, I don’t trust the influence that Khan has on Captain Kirk.”

“So why did you leave them alone together?”

That was harder to answer. It was embarrassing to even consider. But Spock fought the pinch of shame in his chest to speak. “Because even though the captain seems to—in some illogical way—enjoy the company of Khan, I find it completely abhorrent. I find it challenging to maintain any objective logical opinions or behavior when I am around him and the captain is aware of this. He proved understanding in my desire to leave them both.”

“I see…” McCoy said under his breath, but didn’t elaborate.

“My concern is the _relationship_ between Khan and the captain,” Spock continued. “We both know the captain well enough to know that he could find friendship in old enemies. I am an example of that characteristic in him, since the onset of our relationship was less than amiable. I reciprocated the friendship once I learned more about him.”

“You’re worried that Khan isn’t looking for the same kind of friendship that Jim is?” Bones stated simply, impressively concealing any opinion in the matter.

“There is a possibility that Khan is looking to exploit it,” said Spock. “He is a ruthless tactician which necessarily includes seizing opportunities, which Jim may unintentionally present him.”

“Opportunities for what, though, Spock?” Bones finally expressed his skepticism. “The man hasn’t shown any desire to kill us, we haven’t given him reason to. He’s more human than you are, maybe he honestly does want a friend, too.”

The suggestion made Spock’s blood boil. “It’s been proven time and time again, doctor, that Khan would not hesitate to kill us all in the fulfillment of his own objectives, even if he has no such plans at this moment.”

“You wanted my opinion, Spock?” McCoy leaned forward. “My opinion is that you _are_ bothered by Kirk befriending Khan because of the potential danger.”

Spock frowned as Bones just reiterated what had already been stated.

“But,” the doctor raised an emphatic finger, “you’re even _more_ bothered by the fact that his mere presence is making you react on a purely emotional level. Whether or not he’s a threat or our enemy at this point, he brings out the worst most human part of you and you can’t stand that.”

Spock knew he hated Khan. McCoy wasn’t telling him something he didn’t already know. It was still humiliating to have the likes of Bones point it out, though.

“You wanna know what that human part of you is called, Spock? The part that reacts so violently to Khan being alone with Jim?”

He was now realizing his mistake in revealing his concerns to McCoy. The doctor was now prying into it, digging to draw out those human weaknesses.

“Your opinions are no longer insightful, doctor… I will be on the bridge…” Spock’s chest was tightening from the anger and he turned calmly on his heel. As he made his way out of the Sick Bay, he could hear McCoy yelling after him.

“It’s called jealousy, Spock,” Bones called at his back. “And I’d say your eyes are as green as that blood of yours.”

               

* * *

 

 

Khan took one sip from the glass and paused, examining it with wonder as though the stuff produced music. Finally he swallowed, multi-colored eyes rolling into his skull with pleasure. He held onto the glass and observed Kirk curiously over the desk that separated their chairs.

"Dr. Marcus," he stated. "Is she still assigned to the _Enterprise_?"

The inquiry caught Jim off guard, so he tried to buy himself time by quickly taking a swig of the brandy. He swallowed down more than he prepared himself for and ended up wincing from the burn that dragged down his throat.

"No, she's not…" he rasped.

He hoped Khan would take the brief but direct response as a clue to drop it.

"Oh? What happened?" Khan could probably smell the drama wafting off the subject matter, and if there was one thing that Khan seemed to live for, it was drama. 

"Difference of opinion," Jim smiled bitterly into his glass. Remembrance was giving him chest pains. He didn't want to think about Carol.

"Did you follow my advice?"

Jim sighed and looked Khan square in his piercing eye. "You mean the whole _carpe diem_ thing? Yeah. That worked out well, thanks for that..."

Khan only stared back, his eyes studious before flashing, his lips parting with realization. "She ended it."

"Didn't think that conclusion was within jumping distance," Jim said with a mixture of self-consciousness and sarcasm.

"You clearly suffered through more than a mere rejection from her. Surely you've had plenty of those."

Jim sighed and slumped in his chair with defeat. Khan wasn't going to let this go.

"We were together for over two years," he finally confessed. "Well, as together as we could be in the middle of our five-year mission. We didn't exactly make anything official, but we spent more nights together than apart. We had a lot of fun—had some fights." He added a shrug, to display just how unremarkable their relationship was. Okay, it was to make _himself_ remember it that way.

Khan wasn't fooled, though, Jim could tell by the silent expectation in his stare, not analyzing or judging. Just… waiting.  Without needing to say a word, Khan was prying more information out of him.

"She got pregnant." Jim said a little louder than he meant to. "And she wanted to raise it alone."

Khan’s curious stare softened and he nodded once, his gaze dropping away as he nursed another sip of brandy.

But the cork was off. Jim couldn't stop the outpour from the old wounds. He hadn't talked about it in so long, not even to Bones or Spock, that it needed to come out.

"I try to be understanding about her reasons, you know? The _Enterprise_ is no place to raise a family, especially when we’re trekking out into deep space. Then, she didn't want him being raised with a mostly absent father in the service, like she grew up with. But... even _mostly_ absent has to be better than _completely_ absent..."

"Like your father," Khan said quietly.

Jim's throat tightened. "Yeah... I never got to know him. The worst part is knowing that I _could have_ known him. I know for a fact that I could have been better off for knowing him. But the choice was out of anyone’s hands. This wasn't. Carol made the choice for both of us. All she left me with are a lot of could-have-been’s and a life-that-isn’t…"

He had to stop himself. The anger was waking up again after he thought the years helped him cage it. He didn't want to be angry with her. He didn't want to hate her.

"So you know nothing about your own son?" There was pity in Khan’s voice that Jim was surprised to hear and it stirred him from his brooding.

"Not ‘nothing’..." 

He set his glass down and sat up in his chair, reaching to turn on the desk computer. With a few swipes and taps of the screen, he found the picture that Carol had sent him two years ago.

The image was of a baby, about a year old. Chubby, happy, standing but with the help of Carol who sat on the floor behind him, partially hidden from the camera. His hair was as gold as Carol’s, his eyes with enough blue to surpass his parents’ eyes combined. He looked clever and tough. At least Jim thought so.

"His name is David Marcus. He just turned four and this is the only picture I've seen of him. I don’t know why she sent it…" He let out a breathy chuckle, to conceal the ache and nervousness this created in him. “I don’t know why I’m even talking to you about this. You got problems of your own.”

Jim stretched to turn off the picture, to hide it away again lest he found himself reaching for more brandy because of it. But Khan’s hand clutched his wrist, not hard, just enough to stop him for a moment. All the while, Khan never looked away from the picture.

“He looks like you,” he said quietly. It didn’t sound like a compliment. “The name is unfortunate.”

He knew Khan wasn’t referring to the name ‘David’ and in his resentment Jim couldn’t help but inwardly agree. His own son should be a Kirk. Jim’s hand was freed and he switched off the image, returning it to the Starfleet emblem as a screensaver.

“A life that could have been…” Khan practically whispered as he repeated Jim’s comment. “That is a torment we all have within us.”

Jim knew he wasn’t unique in those kinds of regrets, especially someone like Khan. “I’ll admit it…” Jim was staring at his glass, afraid to look at the other man as he forgot the uniform and opened up. “I find myself wondering if it was all worth it. I know the importance of the five-year mission, God knows that fact has been drilled into every brain and file in Starfleet. But I don’t feel… like I’ve really gotten anything out of it. The applause and the commendations don’t amount to as much as I thought they would in the end. That’s not the selfless leader everyone thinks I am or wants me to be, and I haven’t really talked to anyone about this, I just…” He took a breath. “I’m thirty-three years old, alone, and have probably plateaued in my career. Helping you was the first thing to come along that felt worthwhile.”

“You’ll understand if my gratitude is reserved for the final results,” Khan said flatly.

The cold reply finally drew Jim’s attention back, and it was then that he saw the hint of a smirk on Khan’s face. Now he felt like an idiot. Maybe he shouldn’t have suggested brandy, because it made him whine about his life to an ex-dictator who put worms in people’s ears.

Jim quickly downed the last of his own brandy, to burn off any remaining embarrassment, before pushing himself to his feet. “Sorry. I didn’t invite you here for a free therapy session. Though, you are considerably less scary than Dr. McCoy.”

Khan didn’t follow the cue to stand and only seemed to make himself more comfortable as he leaned one elbow on the edge of the desk.

“Your fears are valid, Kirk.”

“I’m not afraid.”

“Oh, certainly not the word you used, but you are. You’re afraid of mediocrity, of fading out as less than a dying star, because even dying stars have one last burst of brilliance and fire that leaves their mark on the universe. You have a son, and even though he may not bear your name, he is nonetheless carrying on your genetics. Your ship, your crew, and your name as James Tiberius Kirk, however, will not be easily erased from history. Even if your bloodline should ever fade or suddenly end, you’ll exist in name—and any greatness made synonymous with a name is the nearest thing to deification you’re ever likely to achieve. It is a small sacrifice to be alone in exchange for immortality, don’t you think?”

Jim was utterly confounded. Was Khan knocking him down, cheering him up? Or was he even talking about Kirk at all? He didn’t know what to say. Until he suddenly remembered about Section 31.

“Look, I didn’t invite you here just for a pep talk… Spock found something on Ceti—”

He was suddenly jolted to the side, clear off his feet and onto the floor. The wind was nearly knocked out of him, and before he even realized what happened, the walls were flashing red, the alert screaming through the intercom. He pulled himself back onto his feet in a flash, and Khan was standing too, equally as alarmed.

“ _Bridge to the captain!_ ” Spock’s voice came with unsurprising calm through the comm.

Kirk practically punched the button in his hurry to answer it. “Kirk here! Spock, what’s happening?!”

“ _Klingons._ ”

 

* * *

 

 

Kati moved calmly through the vast halls of the starship, admiring the sleek, white interior of the vessel and wishing this paradise of a ship had been theirs from the start. But Khan had given it up for mercy that was imposed on him by Marla. And now, Kati was walking as a severely pregnant widow with red uniformed guards walking on each side of her.

They assured her it was for her own protection, to ensure that Khan (or any of his loyalists) wouldn’t try anything. She brought this on herself quite unintentionally. When she appealed to Dr. McCoy’s compassion, she hoped Khan would be the one put under restrictive circumstances. She had to make due, though.

She had to see her plan through.

Marla was exactly where Kati expected her to be, and that was with the children. The inferior woman had tried for years to find her place among the augments, to find some kind of purpose. Looking after the children and teaching them things that the augments themselves had never been able to learn about this new century was arguably the best use for her, even Kati had to admit. It wasn’t nearly enough to guarantee her life, though.

The children, most of them with their parents who were not dead or recovering, had been taken to the recreation room for some light diversion from their recent traumas. It was impressive, and more of a recreation ‘deck’ than an actual ‘room’ by its size. Marla was seated at one of the tables with Joachim and the sight of the boy broke Kati’s heart. He was slouched on the table, the lower half of his face buried in his folded arms as he stared listlessly at the 3D chess game in front of him. Marla, to her credit, was giving it her all to excite the boy in the game. His love of chess was notorious among the colonists and to play it on three levels should have made him ecstatic. But it might as well have been a pile of rocks by the way he was staring at it.

Where was Khan’s fatherly influence now when the boy was suffering? Was this the good that Khan’s leadership brought them?

His real father, Joaquin—Khan’s lapdog—was nowhere in sight, either. That was suspicious, or possibly completely innocuous. The man was grieving his wife’s death, but Kati could only think the worst of him. Kati had come to know Joaquin well enough throughout the years to know that the man was more likely to find something to kill rather than sob in solitude somewhere. And Khan surely would have channeled that rage in a direction that suited him.

All of these thoughts spurred Kati on in her mission, her anger bubbling unseen beneath a patient façade as she strolled through the rec room with her red guards, mingling with her old friends and family, perhaps for the last time. In the corner of her eye, she watched Marla, waiting for opportunity to strike or lose her guards. She couldn’t do this with security watching her every move.

She socialized for half of an hour, idly watching as Marla tried and failed to engage Joachim in some game or activity. All the while, there was something else of interest that she noticed. Her guards were very attentive to her every need. Every time that she sat down and would try to stand, they very gallantly offered their arms or hands to help her to her feet. They assumed she was as feeble as an average pregnant woman. And so she played into it, she slowed her movements just enough to seem fatigued, putting on the appearance of just a little more effort than was actually necessary. It was sweet how much they seemed to care, but she saw it for what it was: weakness.

Finally, after nearly an hour of time wasted in that recreation room, Kati would waste no more. She finally made her way to where Marla sat with Joachim, the red head looking on the edge of defeat as she watched Joachim with an almost pained expression, the boy all the while playing a computer game with the utmost boredom.

“Marla…” she said softly.

Marla’s eyes were wide when she looked at her, her gaze flicking curiously between the security guards behind her.

“Is there someplace I can speak with you?”

“What about?” Marla didn’t try very hard to conceal her suspicion.

“I’d rather not say… It’s very private.”

Marla didn’t respond, nor did she seem to be swayed.

“It’s about….” Kati whispered with feigned difficulty. “It’s about my baby.”

Marla’s eyes visibly softened and Kati knew she had her.

“And them?” Marla nodded to the guards.

“We’re to stay with her,” one of them said proudly. “Captain’s orders.”

Kati sighed. “It’s fine…” Inconvenient, but manageable. “Can we go somewhere?”

Marla hesitated, then nodded. “Of course…” She tenderly set her hand to Joachim’s arm and stroked it lightly. “I’ll be back, okay? You don’t have to keep playing if you don’t want to.”

Joachim nodded solemnly, shyly looking up at her. “Will you be gone long?”

“No, I’ll be back soon.” Marla smiled warmly at him and it seemed to comfort him a little.

Her smile was gone as she pushed herself to her feet and glanced to Kati. She led the way through the rec room towards a door that was clearly marked ‘OBSERVATION DECK’. Marla stepped inside first, one eye constantly over her shoulder, and Kati paused at the threshold. Peering kindly up at her guards, she whispered to them.

“Can I please have one moment of privacy, boys?”

They looked to one another with uncertainty.

“I just need a moment. You trust me alone in my room, I’ll be just as safe with Marla.”

She was betting on the possibility that these two young men hadn’t heard through some grapevine that she disliked Marla and publicly hated Khan. By the looks on their faces, all they knew was that they were assigned to protect her. No one told them to look out for Marla.

After a moment of deliberation, the taller of the two huffed. “Okay… We’ll stay right outside the door. If you’re not out in ten minutes, we’re coming in.”

That was more than enough time and she gave her loveliest smile of thanks. They turned like toy soldiers, putting their backs to each side of the door as she finally stepped inside and let it close behind her. There was no lock, at least not from what she could tell at a glance. She wasn’t familiar enough with this technology to be sure. This was going to be quick, though. A lock wouldn’t help anyone.

Marla was looking out one of the wide windows, the cold and endless field of stars filling the entire view. The fact that they could see the individual stars meant that they weren’t at warp at the moment. Though Marla looked out the window, she was only pretending to be interested in the sight. Kati could tell by the stolen sideways glances as her every move was watched.

Her hand wrapped around the hypospray where she concealed it in her sleeve.

“What do you really want, Kati?” Marla said with impressive bravery as she turned to face her more completely.

“I want my people to flourish,” her voice shook as the adrenaline began to rise in her bloodstream. There was a painful pinch in her lower abdomen, a whisper of the contractions she had been feeling of late. She stepped forward in spite of it. “I want to cut the dead weight that’s been hobbling our advancement even before we were awoken from our cryo-tubes…”

The fear was beginning the shine in Marla’s eyes and the woman wisely, but uselessly, stepped away.

“I want to no longer see _your_ face among the crowd of everyone I love and admire. I want—”

A blinding light flashed in through the deck windows, filling Kati’s vision with pure white just as a blunt force knocked her to the ground. In an instant she was blind and deaf. Gradually, a painful ringing rose in her head, her eyesight returning at a blur. There was a red flashing light and the distant sounding siren of the ship’s alert, the open room suddenly crumbling into debris and she was looking out at it as it flew into the blackness of space.

“ _Bridge to the captain!_ ”

The intercom sounded so far away. She was still breathing, even though she was on the floor. The wall between her and outer space was gone, but the shields kept her inside and maintained breathable air. Marla disappeared. Kati was alive.

“ _All decks, battle stations!_ ”

Kati’s confusion was quickly lifting. They were being attacked. Their deck had been hit directly. Marla was probably dead. But there was one more realization that made her stop breathing and stare.

The hypo was empty.

She felt a sting in her thigh from the injection.

“No…” she breathed. “No… No!””

It was in her veins, the biting numbness coursing through her and already rendering her legs useless. Within minutes it would reach her baby.

She didn’t give herself time to cry, though her heart felt like it was being cut into pieces. She found her contingency knife and put the razor-sharp tip of the blade to the lower part of her swollen abdomen.

Silently she prayed for those guards to be alive and to come through that door, like they promised. She wasn’t going to wait for them.

She pushed the knife in and pulled to the right, a scream tearing out of her.

 

 


	18. Chapter 18

 

"Let me help," Khan’s chest was practically against Kirk’s shoulder as they moved briskly down the corridor, steps in stride.

"You know I'm not gonna let you on the bridge." Jim wasn't leaving room for any negotiation on the subject.

"I don't need to be on the bridge, just let me go to engineering."

Many things brought the captain to an abrupt halt from his hurried walk, despite the swarm of the alerted crew around him who ran to their battle stations. Khan implied he was less of a danger in the ship’s very core—and he was actually asking permission.

"Absolutely not. I'd rather you stay in your quarters where I don't have to worry about you."

They hadn’t gotten very far down the corridor from the captain’s ready room when Khan’s former guards caught up to them with their phasers drawn. Jim immediately noticed the look of accusation on Garrovick’s face as he watched Khan like a hawk. Khan, all the while, ignored them entirely.

"Captain, you forget I am an engineer—" his defensive rebuttal was cut short by another violent jolt of the ship.

Khan managed to hold his ground with only a momentary teeter, but Jim wasn't as graceful. He flopped forward, nearly body slamming the augment had Khan not held him steady at the shoulders. The second hit made Jim all the more eager to get to the bridge, but Khan retained him with his hold on his shoulders.

“Forget it!” Jim said distractedly. All he could think about was the bridge—where he needed to be. When he tried to move, Khan let him go and he stepped towards the turbolift. “Get back to your quarters!”

A third blast hit the ship, the rushing crew knocked around and thrown against walls or to the floor. The security officers grabbed onto Khan, as if to restrain him, but in doing so managed to keep themselves on their feet. Jim, however, was not so lucky to be in arm’s reach of an augment and stumbled into the wall, nearly falling onto his face had he not slapped his hand against the wall to stay upright.

“Shit!” He didn’t care that he nearly fell over like a toddler. What upset him was the sound of his ship screaming and creaking from the damage it was taking on.

“You can keep your guards on me, Kirk,” Khan said urgently. “ _Let me help._ ”

Jim ignored Khan and moved to the wall comm, his fist hitting the button. “All stations! Status report!”

“ _We_ _’re losin’ power fast, cap’n!_ ”” Scotty huffed back, winded and stressed. “ _We have nae recovered well enough from our last engagement, phaser banks are only at sixty-five percent an_ _’ all but two of our torpedo bays are empty……_ ”

“ _We got casualties pouring in from all decks, too, Jim,_ ” Dr. McCoy joined.

“ _There is also severe hull damage on the port side, sir,_ ” the digitized vocals of science officer 0718 chimed in from the bridge channel. “ _Decks fourteen through eighteen have been compromised. Shields are at forty percent and dropping._ ”

“Any lock on the Klingons?”

“ _Negative,_ ” Spock’s cool voice, though not encouraging in regards to the situation, was comforting to hear in the madness. ““ _The Bird of Prey remains cloaked and continues to evade our offensive measures_.”

Jim’s eyes flickered over to Khan who stared fixedly at him, his chest heaving as he intently awaited an answer. Maybe they did need the extra help. As if he had read the captain’s mind, Khan spoke calmly.

“You are not the only one with a crew to defend, Kirk.”

Calm he may have sounded, but Jim could see the flame of revenge in the augment’s silver eyes. That was all the convincing the captain needed to know whose side Khan was on at the moment.

"What can you do?" Kirk said reluctantly.

"Modify the torpedoes," he said rapidly. "It takes only moments when one knows how. I can program them to track the residual anti-protons left behind from a cloaked Klingon ship and enhance the payload."

The damage reports were flooding through the intercom and Jim gnashed his teeth with too much conflict and no time.

"Fine. Do what you can. Garrovick, you and the lieutenant here escort him to engineering and _don_ _’t_ leave him for a second!” Blues flashed between the red shirts intently before landing on Khan, who needed the warning more than anyone. He didn’t need to say it aloud, he knew Khan could read the message clear in his face.

 _Don_ _’t you dare try anything._

Khan nodded, a look of gratitude in his eyes.

"Let's get those bastards,” Jim gave his dismissal.

Khan nodded with a respect that surprised the young captain, and he watched for a moment as the augment sprinted down the corridor towards engineering with the security officers doing their best to keep up. Jim hit the comm to engineering.

“Scotty, I’m sending help your way with two guards. He’s there to help. Kirk out.”

“You’re doin’ _what—_ ””

Jim cut him off before the Scot could spew the highly anticipated alarm. He didn’t want to invite anymore open dispute, all he wanted was to get into the captain’s chair where he belonged.

 

* * *

 

 

There was screaming, not just in her pounding head, but in her ears. Everything was spinning and throbbing, her vision flashing between red, black, and white.

She remembered being on the observation deck with Kati, who was coming towards her, threatening her, with something hidden in her hand. Marla was sure it was a knife, though she couldn’t see it. There was an explosion, then nothing.

She forced her eyes open, but one eye was blinded by a thick layer of coagulating blood. She could still hear the screaming. When she tried to lift her hand to her pounding head, she couldn't move it. Something was pinning it.

Consciousness was slippery, but there was one thing keeping her awake. The screaming. It was small and it sounded like pure terror. It sounded like a baby.

Marla strained her eyes to focus on the blurred chaos around her. The clean observation deck had been reduced to twisted metal, debris, and a maw of open space. It was the ebbing pain that let her know she was still alive, but the singular screaming made her realize that Kati may not have been so lucky. Dizzily, and with shooting pain in her head and down her spine, she twisted her neck to look for the source of the screaming.

There was blood. It glowed red with each flash of the red alert. She squeezed her eyes open and closed in an attempt to clear them.

"Kati!" her voice cracked. She knew it was useless to call, but the panic in her was fighting for control against unconsciousness.

Kati was on her side, her head towards Marla. The blood pooled around her, a knife in her hand, placental tissue scattered around her, and close to her limp head the squirming, shaking, and tiny newborn. Marla's horror of Kati's mutilated body was overcome by her need to get to that baby.

"Hold on... Hold on, sweetie…." She rasped out the words, forcing reassurance to an infant who probably couldn’t even understand if it could hear her. She tried to push up from the floor but she was trapped beneath something immovable and the small movement put an unbearable pressure behind her eyes that made her immediately nauseous. Everything throbbed then turned black in her vision and mind.

Marla woke up again and the baby still screamed. That had to mean the infant was okay, at least for now. She didn't know how long she was out, but she now heard a banging sound close by, then a clatter. There were voices that sounded so far away she wasn’t sure if they were coming or going.

"Go alert medical! I'll stay with them..."

Through the blood in her eyes she saw the shape and color of a Starfleet red shirt. Kati's security guards had come for them and she could see one of them gently picking up the baby from the rubble and the blood.

Safe.

Marla finally let her eyes close and she slipped away.

 

* * *

 

 

“Captain on the bridge!” Darwin announced from navigation, her focus never deviating from her alert-riddled console.

As Jim rushed onto the bridge, Spock was already vacating the command chair.

“They are still cloaked, captain,” the Vulcan reported without waiting for the prompt to do so. “But sensor readings of the anti-proton emissions suggest there is only one Bird of Prey within range.”

“Is it our friend from the Ceti Alpha system?” Jim rested a hand on his chair but didn’t sit as he looked from the readings on the viewscreen to the stations around the bridge.

“Unknown,” Spock stood beside him. “Though likely, given that the Klingons were informed we would be at Ceti Alpha and not in this particular sector.””

“They could have been following us until they were recovered enough for a second attack…” Jim thought aloud, his eyes squinting at the viewscreen. “Why have they stopped firing?”

“They must have drained too much of their power in the last attack….”

Sulu’s voice surprised Kirk and he turned to see both Sulu and Chekov entering the bridge. They were off duty after their mission to Ceti Alpha VI, but Jim was thankful they were there.

“Permission to return to my post?” Sulu asked, though they all knew the answer.

“Granted. You too, Chekov.”

“Aye, sir,” Chekov replied.

Darwin and Leslie vacated navigation and the helm, happily relieved as they took up other posts nearby. Chekov’s hands flittered over the controls, Sulu’s movements slower but just as sure and precise.

“Can we track those emissions to get a lock on them?”

Khan claimed he could do it, after all.

“Nothing exact,” Chekov shrugged. “Ve vould only be able to track where they’ve _been_ , not where they’re going…”

“Mr. Scott damaged their vessel in the last engagement by employing a full torpedo sweep,” Spock explained.

“Ve can’t afford to vaste anymore of our torpedoes or phasers,” Chekov’s voice raised with intensity.

“We need some of that power to keep our shields up,” Sulu added. “The Klingons packed so much into that last hit it crippled them but the next one could leave us dead in the water.”

There was certainly going to be a ‘next one’ as soon as they were able.

“Uhura…” Kirk turned to communications. “Try hailing them to discuss terms. Even if we can’t reason with them, we can at least buy some time.”

“Yes, captain.”

“Time for what?” By Spock’s tone, Jim could already tell he was worried.

Jim didn’t want to say it. He didn’t want to tell Spock that he had _allowed_ Khan into engineering. He knew what the Vulcan would say and it scared him too much to think that Spock would probably be right. But Jim had to listen to his own gut, which Spock never could understand, and it was telling him to trust Khan.

“We can always use more time,” Jim said dismissively, averting his gaze to the viewscreen.

His first officer, though not convinced, accepted it so long as there were more pressing matters at hand. Spock finally stalked away to his science station where he slipped into the empty chair and accessed the sensor readings.

Jim looked to Uhura. “Any response?”

“None, sir…”

Leaning over, he hit the intercom button on the arm of the command chair. “Scotty, how’s it looking down there?”

“ _Like the whole world_ _’s gone bloody mad, that’s how it’s looking!_ ”

“Scotty!” Jim barked, knowing the engineer knew full-well he wanted a report.

He could hear the Scotsman sigh loudly. “ _Power levels are stabilized an_ _’ we have enough for a few well-aimed shots, but we cannae fight_ and _keep our shields up. Either we take_ _‘‘em out in one go or punch into warp an’ make a run for it. Even then, the time it would take to divert enough power to the warp drive would leave us wide open to be blown t’ bits._ ””

“How about the help I sent you?” He didn’t want to say Khan’s name over the comm.

“ _The_ _‘help’, if that’s what ye want t’’call it, is riggin’ up a torpedo—one of our last two to be exact—claiming it’’ll hit its mark. While it sounds nice in theory, Jim, it’s awfully risky, an’ I don’t think one torpedo is goin’ to—Hey!_ ”

“ _The torpedo is ready,_ ” a familiarly baritone voice came through, rapid and confident. “ _Once fired, it will hone in on the residual anti-protons from the Bird of Prey. It has been modified with an exponential payload. One torpedo should be more than enough to eliminate the threat._ ”

“’Should’?” Jim didn’t like the sound of that.

“ _It all depends on how accurate your Chief Engineer is in his assessment of the damage done in the last engagement_ _…_ ”

“ _I know enough about Birds o_ _’ Prey to know I left her bobbing like a whiskey cork in a pond!_ ” Scotty shouted unnecessarily.

“Alright, fine…” Jim ignored the peeved Scotsman. “Load that modified torpedo and have all phaser banks charged and ready. We’’ll give them one more chance to respond to us.”

“ _Fire now_ ,” Khan said coldly. “ _Any delay will cost you. This is war._ ””

“And this is my ship. Scotty, you have your orders.”

“ _Aye, captain!_ ”

“Response from the Klingon commander, sir!” Uhura called over her shoulder.

“On screen!”

The face that appeared was not a pleasant one, but then Jim hadn’t seen any Klingon that was. This one seemed young, and though it wasn’t mutual, the Klingon seemed to recognize who he was seeing at once.

“ _Ah!_ ” he rasped triumphantly. “ _Captain Kirk! At last! And your pet Vulcan, as well!_ ”

Jim caught Spock’s imperceptible bristle in the corner of his eye as he looked dauntlessly at the enemy who could very well be the one to kill them once and for all.

“Sorry if _your_ reputation hasn’t preceded you this far into _Federation Space_ ……” Jim said smugly. “…which makes your presence and your attack on this ship an act of war.”

“ _I am Bor_ _’Jaq!_ ” he bellowed proudly.

Yeah, Kirk guessed as much. The Klingon seemed to find his own name more important than any consequence for his actions.

“Listen Bor’Jaq,” Jim appealed as he moved around the command chair towards the viewscreen. “Whatever victory you were led to believe could be had here will be completely meaningless if—no, not ‘if’— _when_ it triggers an all-out war between the Federation and the Klingon Empire…”

Bor’Jaq laughed. “ _Only a human would argue that war is a loss. War brings honor, captain. War proves mettle. And yours, for all your grand reputation, is disappointing. Not only will I defeat you, I will snuff out the Klingon enemy John Harrison and avenge the mass murder he committed in the Ketha Province!_ ”

Jim cringed when Bor’Jaq mentioned their dark secret, but he couldn’t address it just now.

“Bor’Jaq, wait. We can discuss terms—”

Bor’Jaq only offered a fierce, snaggletooth grin and cut off the transmission.

Panic flamed through Kirk. He had to make a decision: Flee or fire. His gut seemed to know the answer as it prompted him to hit the comm again.

“Scotty, is that torpedo armed and ready to fire?”

“ _Aye, sir._ ”

“Sulu, best guess of where the Bird of Prey is?”

Sulu threw up his hands and shook his head. “Behind us, over us… I have no way of telling, sir.”

“Strong energy surge, captain,” Spock called from the science station. “It’s likely they’re charging their weapons.”

“Fire now!”

“Sir?” Chekov looked over his shoulder.

“Fire the torpedo, Chekov, never mind targeting!”

Chekov swallowed hard, but obeyed without further question. The ship jolted as the torpedo launched, reverberating with the red alert.

“Torpedo is banking, sir…” Spock looked into the hooded screen of his station. “If it cannot get an accurate lock on the anti-proton emissions, it will target the nearest energy source.”

“If the Klingons are too far, it might turn back and hit us…” Sulu finished the ominous prediction, his eyes glued to the viewscreen which had locked on the path of the torpedo.

Jim felt like his blood had stopped cold as he watched the flicker of light move around on the screen, searching for its target. It turned, turned, turned, like a koi in a tiny pond and it was getting closer.

“Damn it, Khan…” Jim whispered under his breath. “Come on…”

It suddenly looked like it stopped moving.

“It’s coming at us!” Chekov’s voice reached a higher pitch.

The light was getting bigger.

“Evasive maneuvers!”

The viewscreen filled with white light, causing everyone on the bridge to cover their eyes and gasp. Almost instantaneously, the _Enterprise_ was violently shaken. The crew was knocked to the side, the impact so powerful that Jim had bitten down on his cheek. As he was peeling himself up off the floor, he swallowed a mouthful of blood.

“Spock?” He blinked through the flash burn in his corneas, barely making out the shape of the Vulcan moving back into his chair.

“The torpedo has detonated.”

“Obviously, Spock,” Jim snapped. “You okay?”

“I am unharmed…”

“Did it hit something?”

“Trying to ascertain that now…”

“Captain, look!” Sulu pointed at the viewscreen.

Spraying in all directions were pieces of metal and scrap, one piece of paneling clearly marked with the war paint of a Bird of Prey. Other than that there was no indication that the debris had ever been a flyable piece of machinery.

“Jesus Christ…” Jim rasped under his breath.

 Sulu confirmed. “That one torpedo completely obliterated it….”

Sulu and Chekov swiveled slowly in their mirrored chairs to look at their captain, blinking with a confused mixture of fear and admiration.

“It seems his torpedo did precisely what he claimed it would.”

The sound of Spock’s voice so close beside him would have made Jim jump out of his boots if he wasn’t so used to his friend being at his side.

“He’s got a crew to protect, too…” Jim said loud enough for only his first officer to hear.

“Which is fortuitous for us…” Spock said darkly and turned away, returning to his station for further readings.

That tone in his friend caused a small pain in Kirk’s chest. Without Spock backing him up in trusting Khan, Jim was in perpetual doubt of his own judgements. Taking his first deep breath since the battle started, Jim hit the intercom.

“All decks, report…”

The reports came in from each deck, one on top of another, describing the damage and casualties, each one indicating that the _Enterprise_ was basically one speed bump away from falling apart. The hole in the side of the ship made it look as though an enormous space shark had taken a hearty bite out of it.

“Incoming!” Sulu suddenly shouted.

Suddenly appearing on the screen were three de-cloaked and seemingly brand new Klingon battle cruisers, their narrow noses pointed right at the _Enterprise._


	19. Chapter 19

 

There was a stunned silence on the bridge that lasted only a matter of seconds but felt as heavy as a starship on the ocean floor. The _Enterprise_ had one torpedo, a puff of phaser power, and three Klingon battle cruisers staring it down like a pack of wolves around an injured rabbit.

Jim’s mind was racing through all of the scenarios:

They fight and die.

They surrender and eventually die.

They run and get gunned down before they could even break into warp.

No… Damn it, Jim, think! If the Klingons intended to blow them out of the sky, they wouldn’t have appeared de-cloaked. Maybe they weren’t aligned with Bor’Jaq and his rogue ship. He was willing to bet on that small chance.

“Uhura, hail them!”

“They’re already hailing us, sir.”

Before Kirk could even tell her to answer, something burst into sight on the viewscreen between the _Enterprise_ and the Klingons—a Federation starship, Ambassador-class, dropping out of warp with guns blazing. There was a downpour of phaser beams and torpedoes alike on the Klingons from more than just the heavy cruiser newcomer—it had two Federation escort vessels along with it that closed in and battered the enemy from all angles.

One after another, the crumbling Klingon battle cruisers broke into warp, escaping without being pursued, and as quickly as it all began, everything was quiet again (save for the whine of the red alert and the sensor readings).

Jim could only stare as the Klingons were attacked but not destroyed, his heart pounding in his ears. When all three of them were finally warped from sight, confused faces on the bridge turned to Kirk.

“Captain,” Uhura still hadn’t quite caught her breath as she looked over her shoulder, “we’re being hailed by Rear Admiral Cartwright of the _USS Lucidity._ ”

Jim had met Lance Cartwright on more than one occasion, though he didn’t really know the man beyond professional acquaintance. Last he heard Cartwright had made commodore after the Daystrom attack from Khan, when Pike had been cut down. It was Admiral Alexander Marcus who had promoted him.

“Put him on screen…”

Appearing on the viewscreen was a dignified black gentleman, his rear admiral’s stripes showing brightly on his uniform. He had a commanding presence, which made the personable smile seem out of place when he beheld Jim.

“ _Captain Kirk_ ,” he greeted with a nod. “ _Thought you could use a hand._ ”

“You thought right, sir…” There was a cold, heavy weight in Jim’s gut, but he hid it beautifully behind a charming mask. “We didn’t have a chance to send out any distress calls, how did you know we were here? Not that we’re not thankful….”

“ _Starfleet received your message about the Klingon attack in the Ceti Alpha system and is investigating it as we speak. You were cleared for your voyage to the Beta Quadrant, so we were sent to find and escort you to safety._ ”

It was damn peculiar to receive a Federation escort without prior notice, and Jim could see the suspicion in Spock’s face when he glanced to his first officer. Jim was getting an unnerving feeling of déjà vu and his wishful thinking that Starfleet wouldn’t know about the colonists on board was just that—wishful thinking. It was unclear if Cartwright knew, but the cat coming out of the bag was inevitable at this point.

This was going to cost him his captaincy.

Had this not been a common threat looming over his head, Jim might have broken a sweat.

“Thank you, sir,” he nodded respectfully, “but under the circumstances the _Enterprise_ isn’t in any condition to make it that far. If we could get a tow to the nearest Starbase, you and your fleet can be on your way.”

Cartwright had a strangely fixed smirk on his face. “ _I_ _’d be glad to give you a tow, Kirk. But when we dock, there are some pressing matters for us to discuss._ ”

“Of course. I’m sure Starfleet Command will be wanting more information about the Klingon attack.” Jim prided himself in how well he played dumb, but it didn’t always fool everyone.

“ _That_ _’s certainly a big part of it, captain. We’ll activate the tractor beam so that you can conserve some power. We’ll have to back track to get to the nearest starbase, and we estimate it’ll be about one and a half standard Earth days to Regula I from here. Does that sound satisfactory?_ ”

Oh God. Regula I.

“More than satisfactory.” Kirk broke a sweat. “Thanks again.”

Cartwright ended the transmission and Jim fought the need to sit down.

“Captain?” Spock’s voice was soft beside him.

“Right…” Jim blinked out of his sudden staring and he hit the intercom. “Bridge to engineering...”

“ _Scott_ _‘ere._ ”

“Scotty, we’re getting a tow from the _USS Lucidity._ Divert all power to repairs and life support systems. We won’t be needing engines or weapons anymore.”

“ _Aye, sir_ _… And, uh, what about the little helper ye sent down ‘ere?_ ”

“Have Garrovick take him to my ready room.”

“ _Aye!_ ” he could hear the glee in Scotty’s voice to finally be rid of Khan.

Jim switched to a ship-wide intercom. “All decks report.”

As the reports began to come in, the _Enterprise_ ’s engines quieted to a low hum and notifications appeared informing them that the tractor beam was in place. Before long, they were being lugged behind the Ambassador-class ship, an escort flying nimbly on each side of them. They were underway and the ship was trying to pull itself back together.

“Spock, with me. Sulu, you have the conn.”

“Aye, sir.”

Sulu didn’t have any reason to be at the helm anymore anyway, and Jim knew how much his ego swelled by being in the captain’s chair.

With Spock at his side, they stepped onto the turbolift. Jim faced the doors, but he could see Spock looking at him full on. The doors closed and the lift began to move.

“You sent Khan to engineering.” Spock’s words were so sharp that they made the captain wince a little.

"What? No I didn’t.”

“Even if I had your less-than-precise human hearing I would have recognized Khan’s voice over the intercom without any difficulty.”

“Options were limited… We can talk about that later—”

“Such a decision is _highly_ ill-advised.” Now Spock’s voice was beginning to raise in volume.

Jim knew the Vulcan well enough to tell that if Spock seemed irritated, it meant he was furious.

“It saved our asses, Spock!” Jim shouted back defensively, turning to face his first officer at last.

It was then that he saw just how flared Spock’s nostrils were, how ablaze his dark eyes had become. It was enough for Jim to take a deep breath, to calm himself when Spock was at the risk of blowing his perfectly coiffed top.

“We can go over how stupid my decision was later, okay? Right now we have a shit-ton of other problems piling up on top of us.”

It felt strange to have to remind the ever-logical Spock that there were other things going on besides Khan and Kirk, but the reminder was enough. The Vulcan took a breath and straightened his posture complacently.

“As humiliated as I am that Bor’Jaq cleaned our clocks as bad as he did, I’m not so sure those battle-cruisers meant the same harm. Cartwright made sure to get rid of them before any words could be exchanged…”

“You don’t trust Rear Admiral Cartwright?”

Jim almost scoffed. “Do you?”

“His appearance here is suspiciously convenient. And his desire to speak to you privately indicates that he has something to say that he isn’t comfortable mentioning in front of the rest of the crew on an open channel.”

“You think he knows about Khan?”

"Unknown. But his close association with Admiral Marcus makes it seem likely that his involvement now is prompted by our encounter with Section 31 on Ceti Alpha VI.”

“Which probably already has something to do with Khan and his colony…” Jim added tiredly.

He wished he could just flat out ask someone for the full story without running the risk of even more unnecessary danger. At this point it was more speculation than fact, but it rang a little too true for comfort. The turbolift came to a stop and Jim led the way down the corridor towards his ready room.

“There’s gotta be something we can do without having to go to Regula I. If we dock, it’ll be harder to escape if it comes down to it…”

Spock pulled in closer to speak more discreetly. “Please reassure me that you are not considering fleeing from Starfleet for _his_ sake.”

“I wouldn’t be doing it for _him_ , Spock…” Jim glanced warily at a passing crewman. “After the whole Admiral Marcus thing, I may or may not have developed trust issues with Starfleet. Besides, _he_ saved our lives with that torpedo from a clear threat while Cartwright saved us from something that might not have been a threat at all. You can’t blame me for reserving judgments.”

When they reached the captain’s ready room, Spock was close at Kirk’s heels, practically pushing him inside. The moment the doors were closed, the Vulcan was able to finally speak his mind.

“You seem to overlook Khan’s motives for helping us in the first place, even though you explicitly stated that he had his own crew to protect. He is not helping us because he has some compassion or comradery with the crew of the _Enterprise._ Khan acts only with a means towards his own end, nothing else.”

“You know, Spock, as logical as you pretend to be, you have an awfully hard time looking at things from another point of view. The world isn’t that black and white and neither is Khan.”

“Giving a warlord the benefit of the doubt is giving him _all_ benefit. He will exploit it.”

Jim could feel his blood beginning to boil as he felt suddenly under attack by his closest friend. “Spock, I need you on my side right now…”

“I am on your side, Jim. As your first officer and friend, my duty has never changed in attempting to help you make the best possible decision.”

“Not this again…” Jim sighed. “The argument about Khan is just gonna keep going in circles. He hasn’t given me any reason to doubt his motives here and we need to think about Cartwright and the Klingon attack. When we get to Regula I, we need to be ready for whatever Cartwright is planning to ‘talk’ about.”

“To say nothing of the fact that Dr. Marcus is currently stationed at Regula I and is thoroughly familiar with Khan.”

The mention of Carol sent an additional migraine through Jim’s eyes. “Oh, thanks, I forgot all about her.”

Spock quirked a brow. “I find it unlikely that you would so easily forget the location of the mother of your child.”

“Spock. Sarcasm.”

The Vulcan was sharp and sometimes had enough sass to choke a whale, but every once in while human intonations would fly right over his head. The possibility of Carol being discussed scared Kirk into a change in topic and he glanced around his ready room.

“What’s taking Khan so long to get here..?”

 

* * *

 

Generally, Scotty felt flabbergasted about this whole situation, but the captain's next orders for commander Garrovick came as a relief.

" _Have Garrovick take him to my ready room._ ”

Kirk ended the transmission and Scotty had to hold back a smile when Garrovick gestured for Khan to get moving. But the darkly cloaked ex-warlord didn't move. To Scotty's chagrin, Khan was addressing him.

"Which decks were breached?" Khan was direct.

"Fourteen through eighteen," Scotty gave the harmless info.

A muscle in Khan's jaw jumped. "There are rec rooms on those decks, aren’t there?"

"Aye, some," Scotty could only offer a shrug.

He knew Khan wanted to know more about his crew and the casualties, but it was information that the chief engineer couldn't worry about just now and simply didn’t have. He had engines to repair, after all.

"Look, the cap'n wants you in his ready room. You'll get updates as _we_ get 'em, I'm sure of it."  His teeth ground together a little as he forced comfort to the man who bashed him over the head once and practically killed his ship.

"Time to move," Garrovick was less kind.

Khan gave the tough security officer an unfazed glance before looking back to Scotty. "You're the present commanding officer, are you not, Mr. Scott?"

"Aye..."

"Then will you least grant me use of the comms that I might try to contact my wife and be assured that she is safe?"

Garrovick stood back stoically, but his hand was a little tighter on the handle of the phaser on his hip.

"Fine," Scotty couldn't argue. The last thing he wanted to do was agitate the madman while he was in his engine room. "But then ye need to go. Ye can't keep the cap’n waitin' at a time like this."

Khan stepped past Scotty and accessed the console, patching through to his private quarters. It beeped the annunciator, waiting for a response from the other side. There was no answer.

"She might not be there, but that doesn't mean anythin's wrong," Scotty offered hope when he really couldn't know one way or the other. "I am sure she'll report to let you know. Ye need to go."

 _Get out of my engine room, ye crazy bastard_ , he silently added.

Khan obviously wasn’t pacified. He still hovered over the console, his eyes unblinking and sharp as he glanced over the various screens in front of him. All they could tell him were the statuses of the engines and warp core, and though Khan was worried about his family, Scotty was increasingly uncomfortable with him looking at the _Enterprise_ _’s_ secrets.

Behind Khan’s back, Scotty looked to Garrovick, nodding towards the augment emphatically. Garrovick easily took the hint and took another step forward.

“Let’s go, pal. You’re not getting out of my sight again.”

“Again?” Scotty blurted out. “What d’ye mean, ‘ _again_ _’_?”

Garrovick pretended to not hear the chief engineer, but his red-shirted partner was more vocal.

“Just for a moment when the torpedo was being loaded, sir,” said the lieutenant.

The discussion finally seemed to stir Khan from his intent studying of the screens and he turned suddenly to Scotty. “Regardless of your suspicions of me, I am grateful for your tolerance in allowing me to help here…”

“Erm… Yer welcome?” Scotty was waiting for a follow-up threat.

“Let’s go.”

Khan gave Garrovick the apparent order and Scotty could see the young security officer’s ears turn red with anger. Nonetheless, they marched alongside Khan out of engineering, Khan’s mere exit making the vast engine room feel suddenly more spacious.

 

* * *

 

 

Sickbay was a madhouse and Bones wasn’t so sure that he was one of the sane ones. Casualties were brought in by the bushels, _Enterprise_ crew members and augments alike. There were a lot of broken bones, bumped heads, burnt skin, and a few more serious cases of radiation poisoning, nearly severed limbs, or damage to internal organs from being thrown, crushed, or simply breathing in fumes.

Among the chaos, a certain sound seemed to pierce the noise and fill the overworked doctor’s ears. As soon as McCoy stabilized an unconscious lieutenant, he found himself following the sound through the crowded medical bay.

It was then that he saw Lieutenant Stiles moving frantically through in his black undershirt, his red uniform wadded up in his arms. It was covered in blood—McCoy had been working on this ship long enough to be able to differentiate the two shades of red.

The moment that Stiles spotted him, he shouldered his way through the medical crew and their patients.

“Doctor! Doctor McCoy!”

The next thing Bones knew, the security officer was practically on top of him, holding his bundled shirt close. That was when McCoy finally located the source of that sound—a newborn’s cry. Stiles was one of Kati’s guards.

“God in Heaven…” McCoy’s eyes widened with dread. “Give her here… I’ll make sure she’s safe.”

The delicate cargo was handed over with the utmost care and McCoy gave the baby a quick once over, to be sure there were no apparent problems (aside from fear, hunger, and the expected basic needs).

“What about the mother?” The professional in him was in control, his usual passionate emotions removed from his sleeve as he carried the infant to where she could be properly cared for.

“She’s dead…” The lieutenant’s voice suddenly shook now that he was relieved of his burden and he followed McCoy. “It looks like she cut the baby out of herself, there was a knife in her hand, and— Doctor, Ensign Chou’s with Marla Singh. She was with Kati, and she’s hurt bad. She was unconscious when we got there. It looked really bad, we didn’t dare move her.”

This wasn’t getting any better.

“I want you to take me to her…” McCoy, against his preference, gave the baby to a spare nurse, who he trusted as an expert in the area of childcare and wouldn’t need him. He gathered up his medical tools and signaled for one of the medical officers to accompany him, meanwhile leaving Dr. M’Benga in charge of the medical bay.

He hoped Marla was as strong as he gave her credit for and could hold on until help came.

 

* * *

 

 

“Where the hell is Khan…?” Jim finally stopped in his anxious pacing to ask the question for the fourth time.

Spock, indeed, had been wondering the same thing. However, in light of Jim’s thoroughly expressed annoyance at the Vulcan’s equally thoroughly expressed suspicions, he made the effort to keep such inquiries to himself.

They had been waiting 20 minutes for Khan to arrive—more than sufficient time to travel from engineering to the captain’s ready room, especially for an augmented human, with or without the convenience of a turbolift.

Spock’s brain was screaming to verbalize his suspicions, preparing a slew of what Dr. McCoy liked to call ‘I told you so’ but he remained silent (even his usually expressive eyebrows were immobile as he watched Jim lean over his computer and patch himself directly to the communicator of Commander Garrovick.

“Garrovick, report!”

“ _Garrovick here_ _…_ ” The voice was breathy, but the response was admirably instant.

“That’s the problem, mister, you should be _here_!” Jim sounded strangely parental whenever he reprimanded his crew. “Where are you? Where’s your charge?”

“ _He_ _’s here, sir…_ ”Garrovick said quickly. “ _We_ _’ve been chasing him… through the whole god damned ship trying to get him to report to you…_ ” The officer was obviously still running as he spoke, it was obvious by the way he panted, his voice jostled with each step. “ _He refuses to come along until he finds his wife_ _… The bastard won’t listen… Permission to stun him and drag him to you in a sack, sir…_ ”

“Do not shoot, commander.” Kirk articulated the words carefully. “Does he have reason to think anything happened to his wife?”

“ _I guess she might have been on one of the decks that were blown out_ _… I don’t know…_ ” Garrovick was beginning to sound exhausted, too winded to be sympathetic.

“Jesus…” Jim ran a hand tiredly down his face. “Just stay with him, Mr. Garrovick. Keep him out of trouble. I’ll touch base with Sick Bay in the meantime. Keep me posted.”

“ _Yes, sir_ _…_ ” Garrovick huffed, half of a groan escaping as he cut the transmission.

It was then that Jim finally looked to Spock and the Vulcan could see the worry that glimmered in those usually confident blues. Khan was already unpredictable in many ways, but the man’s behavior was often directly influenced by Marla McGivers. In just that one exchanged glance Spock knew Jim sensed the potential conflicts if anything happened to her. Over the years, they had learned to have entire conversations without needing to speak a word.

The captain took in a breath but didn’t fully release it as he contacted the med bay.

“Kirk to Sick Bay… Bones, have you seen or heard anything of Mrs. Singh?”

“ _Dr. M_ _’Benga here. Marla Singh’s been found on Observation Deck Three, sir. Dr. McCoy’s on his way to her now._ ”

Jim’s face paled, but he maintained a level voice. “What’s her condition?”

“ _Critical. That_ _’s why Dr. McCoy is going to her._ ”

“Thank you, doctor… I’m heading there now. Kirk out.” Jim moved to switch channels, but his hand hesitated, seeming unable to press the button.

“Khan must be informed,” Spock said quietly, hoping to reassure his captain’s conflicting thoughts.

Jim nodded subtly and hit the button. “Garrovick, come in.”

“ _Garrovick_ _… here…_ ” He was still running.

“Number Three Observation Deck. Dr. McCoy’s on his way to treat Marla. We don’t know the extent of her injuries, but so far as we know she’s alive. Let him know. We’ll meet you there.”

“ _Christ_ _… I mean, yes, sir… Garrovick out._ ”

Without another word, Spock was following Jim out of the ready room at full sprint for the turbolift. It was a short ride to the other deck, but Jim fidgeted and shifted his weight back and forth as though it was taking hours. The instant the doors opened, he was running again.

The damage to the deck was apparent in the state of the recreation room when they entered. It was crowded with augments, the number of children more than double that of the adults, a few colored Starfleet uniforms among them to offer order and help.

A few of the augments were drawn towards one figure, and as Spock followed his captain through the crowd, he recognized Khan’s second in command, Joaquin, speaking loudly to the other augments. His son, whose name Spock had learned was Joachim, was perched on his father’s hip. There was a bruise to the boy’s head, a cut to his lip, and he was visibly shaking as he held his father’s neck tightly.

“I’m not going to say it again!” Joaquin was shouting over the voices that came at him. “You’ll be safer in your rooms. Lord Khan will address this when things are calmer!”

“How do we know the danger is over?” shouted one woman.

“Why isn’t Khan here to talk to us himself?” cried another.

“It’s the captain!” Spock saw a hand point out of the crowd, but couldn’t see the speaker.

All eyes turned suddenly to Kirk and Spock as they approached and Joaquin puffed up like an agitated bull. All the fearful questions and concerns were now aimed at Jim, but he took the assault of paranoia without batting an eye. The more pressure that was applied, the stronger Jim seemed to become.

“Alright, listen…” he raised a hand, but only when they didn’t listen did he raise his voice. “Listen! We were attacked by a Klingon vessel, which has since been destroyed thanks to your leader. By saving this ship, he saved us all. We’re out of danger for the moment and for the sake of a thorough report on the damage and casualties, you should all go back to your quarters. The more orderly we are, the sooner you’ll get answers to your questions.”

“We were assured we’d be safer on your ship!” A particularly brutish man growled, one arm held defensively around the shoulders of his apparent wife.

“Notwithstanding that attack,” Jim spoke sharply to them all, “the _brig_ is still in perfect condition for insubordination. Return to your quarters—captain’s orders!”

There were a few more protests, none of the augments blinking an eye at Kirk’s authority. Their disobedience, and their potential ability to carry it out, made Spock’s heart beat a little harder. These augments were a very real threat. Suddenly, the noise in the corridor outside the rec room hushed, so suddenly that the riled crowd around Jim and Spock turned to look at the open doorways.

Khan marched in, his eyes wide and his breathing a little labored like a jaguar on the hunt. Seconds later, Garrovick came to a stumbling halt into the room, leaning forward with a hand on his knee as he struggled to catch his breath. His partner wasn’t too far behind. Unlike Khan, the poor security officers soaked through their red uniforms with sweat, their faces red and their legs wobbling a bit.

The augments, upon their leader’s arrival, practically stampeded towards him. Joachim, more than anyone, was eager to meet him. He wriggled free from his father’s grasp, and as soon as his feet touched the floor, he bolted through the other augments and latched onto Khan’s arm.

“Lord Khan! Lady Marla’s hurt and they won’t let me see her!”

“Show me.”

Khan let the boy lead him by the hand, ignoring the fretful voices that called to him. All the while, Jim was struggling to push his way through the super humans to get to him. Spock stepped in front of his captain and began to push the augments aside, gently but firmly, to make way. Jim was strong, but Spock could physically match the augments when he so chose.

By the time they were within arm’s reach of Khan, he was already at the ajar door of the observation deck. It had been pried open, pieces of the ship blocking the entrance. The nearer they came, the more they could smell the metallic and gaseous odors of space that had filled the deck when the hull was breached.

Khan paused at the opening, a deep breath taken in as if in preparation. “Stay here, Joachim…” He spoke so quietly that his voice hardly carried over the noise of the recreation room, but Spock’s sensitive ears heard it plainly.

He pulled his hand away from the boy’s, and Joaquin appeared to take his son in his arms again.

“Lord Khan—” Joaquin began urgently.

Khan only held up his hand and Joaquin fell silent. The augment leader then stepped quickly through the opening that was made to the observation deck. Jim followed Khan, and Spock followed Jim. Just before ducking in through the small opening, Spock heard an intentionally well-vocalized and venomously embittered comment from the group of augments.

“I told you he would go running to her. It’s _always_ her.”

There wasn’t much left of the observation deck. Where a bulkhead and tall windows had been was now a gaping hole into the endlessness of space, the view shined over by an occasional shimmer of the tractor beam that pulled the _Enterprise_ behind the _Lucidity_. The lights had been obliterated, save for the dim glow of what few emergency lights still worked along the floor and intact walls.

Spock’s attention was quickly diverted from the hole in the ship to the stooped figure of Dr. McCoy about ten feet from where they entered. It didn’t appear as though the doctor had been there very long, as he was only just taking a hypo from his medical kit. Khan dropped to one knee near McCoy, the unmistakable look of fear washing over his usually dauntless features.

“Marla!” though he whispered her name, Spock was sure he detected panic in his voice. “Marla, Beloved, can you hear me?”

Bones, with the help of another medical officer, was gently turning Marla over onto her back. Her eyes were closed, blood caked into her already red hair and seeping from her scalp. She was pale, and even Spock could see the swelling on the top of her head where something of substantial weight had clearly come down on her. She showed no response to any of the voices around her, not even Khan’s in its uncharacteristic alarm.

Two security officers stood nearby, those who had been assigned as Kati’s guards, Lieutenant Stiles and Ensign Chou. Stiles was missing his red tunic and Chou’s hands were covered in blood. When they spotted the captain and first officer, they approached and stood at attention.

“She was pinned, sir,” Chou informed without being asked. “We managed to get the debris off of her… There was nothing we could do for Kati…”

Kirk blinked. “What? Kati? She was in here?”

“She’s dead, Jim,” Bones suddenly said as he took readings from Marla.

The captain and Spock looked where Chou suddenly pointed, and nearby was the distinct shape of a body beneath a sheet. Blood could be seen congealed on the floor around it.

“Did the baby survive?” Spock was the first to ask no one in particular.

“Baby’s fine, thank God. It’s Kati who wasn’t so lucky…” McCoy murmured as he glanced up to Khan, who had yet to utter a word. “Looks like the Klingons saved you the trouble.”

“Save your accusations, Bones,” Jim’s words cut through the air. “We’ll get the whole story later.

There were tears forming in the augment’s eyes, but he appeared too stunned for them to fall, let alone to hear anything spoken to him. Spock, regardless of his hatred of the augment, could only imagine the pain and helplessness of seeing a loved one unresponsive and bloody as Marla was now. He had felt something that wasn’t entirely dissimilar when Jim had died before his eyes, mere glass separated them.

He hated Khan, but he couldn’t dismiss or enjoy the pain he must have been feeling.

“Ensign,” Kirk looked to the dazed security officer. “Report to med bay.”

“I’m not hurt, captain… This isn’t my blood…”

“Then you’re relieved of duty. Both of you. You did well, gentlemen. You’ll be called on for a detailed report later.”

“Yes, sir…” they said in unison.

Only after the red shirts existed did Jim move nearer to Khan. The augment’s eyes were fixed on Marla’s unmoving form, a trembling hand hovering over her but not touching, as if she was ready to crumble to dust. As emotional as Khan must have been this moment, it was strange to see such restraint.

“How is she, Bones?” Jim asked quietly.

McCoy subtly shook his head. “Trauma to parietal caused intracranial hemorrhaging… Somethin’ big fell on her,” he translated. “I gave her something to lessen the swelling, but that’s not all that worries me…” He paused as he studied his readings. The sudden jump of his eyebrow and the steadiness of his hands was not promising to Spock, who had seen the doctor act the same way under the worst of circumstances. “No bones are broken, which is lucky. The amount of weight that hit her should have crushed her spine, or at least her neck. But even if she was lucky there, it landed on her hard. I need to get her into surgery right now. Head trauma aside, there’s internal bleeding in her abdomen and if I don’t find it and fix it she’ll die.”

“Is it safe to move her?” Khan finally spoke, a small tremble in his voice.

McCoy met the augment’s eye. “We’re guaranteed to lose her if we don’t.”

“I’ll get a gurney—” The young medical officer announced.

But Khan was already slipping his arms beneath Marla’s limp body, carefully but hurriedly lifting her up and close to him. Without waiting for anyone, he was practically flying out of the room. McCoy, too, was on his feet and hurrying out with rare speed and agility. The country doctor never moved as well as he did when he was doing his medical duty. McCoy’s assistant, meanwhile, scrambled to collect the equipment before running to catch up.

Spock expected Jim to follow, but the captain was immobile. His eyes were on the body beneath the sheet.

“Captain.”

Rather than drawing the captain’s attention to Spock, it only seemed to turn it to the open hole that exposed them to outer space. Spock watched his captain as his shoulders appeared to slump at the sight of it. The Vulcan was sure he could read every thought as it entered his friend’s mind. The ship, and everyone within her, were torn down and suffocating in ominous foreboding. It wasn’t the end yet, but things were falling apart.

That was the _feeling_ , but Spock was logical enough to know that it was not an _inevitability_.

“Shall we go to the medical bay, captain?” Spock remained professional, but he spoke softly.

He was afraid to let Jim linger here to be consumed by his own thoughts and worries.

Kirk blinked, and after a moment nodded. He made no verbal reply and walked out of the observation deck.


	20. Chapter 20

 

The instant that Marla’s unconscious body was set onto an anti-grav stretcher, McCoy was leading it and a team straight into surgery. Khan followed closely, but a hand slapped onto his solid chest, the audacity of its gesture stopping him more surely than any physical strength.

“Medical personnel only!” Dr. McCoy ordered dauntlessly, unaffected by the astonished glare from Khan.

“That is _my wife!_ ” The statement of a fact never sounded so murderous and Jim took that as his cue to step in.

“Khan, there’s nothing else you can do for her and I really need to talk to you…”

He hoped the augment could put some faith in Bones. What Scotty was to the field of engineering, McCoy was to medicine. That didn’t mean Kirk didn’t feel like there was a 10 pound rock in his stomach when he thought of Marla’s chances.

Khan silently watched as Marla was taken away and long after she vanished behind the doors. He drew in deep breaths, his hands closed in trembling fists.

“Khan, please. It’s imperative that we talk. Now.”

At last, Khan conceded with a nod. There was clearly some great effort for him to turn away from those shut doors to face to captain with a non-verbal suggestion that he lead the way. So Kirk did, and to the nearest place where they could speak privately: Dr. McCoy’s office. With the doctor occupied in surgery, the room would be left to Jim, Spock, Khan——and unexpectedly Garrovick, who hovered closely.

“Ah… Mr. Garrovick…” Jim turned to the headstrong security officer, who he could have sworn was excused already. “You’re dismissed.”

Garrovick practically dug his heels into the floor. “Permission to stay, sir. I can help.”

Jim’s brows rose with a mixture of confusion and amusement. “Help with what, commander?”

Garrovick’s eyes shifted in search of an answer, but he bravely cleared his throat. “Whatever you’d need me for, sir. I’’m one of the few who knows about Khan, after all.”

“Which is information you’ve wisely kept to yourself,” Kirk reminded. “I have another task for you, as Chief of Security... I need you to examine the recorded video feed of Observation Deck 3 to find out what happened with Marla and Kati. Something seems off about what happened to Kati and I want to know what made her so desperate that she had to do what she did.”

“But, sir…” Garrovick protested almost childishly. “Any other officer could handle that.”

“I’m not counting on just any officer, I’m counting on _you_ , mister.”” Jim’s voice became harsher as Garrovick’s arguing began to get under his skin. Especially while he felt Khan watching. “I need an officer I trust to see to it that the facts are protected and accurate.”

Though Garrovick stood at attention well, his eyes dipped downward a little. “Aye, sir…” He glanced to Khan. “I’’m on it.”

“Good. Dismissed.”

Finally, the red shirt exited the office and the doors closed, leaving Jim alone with Spock and Khan at last. He let out a deep breath as he took a lean on the doctor’s immaculate desk. Spock stood stoically on one side of the office, his hands clasped at his back and looking altogether indifferent to the misery filling the ship. Khan, who stood on the opposing side, still had fists clenched at his sides. It was obvious that he was restless and eager to leave.

“I’m sorry about Marla…” Kirk said quietly. “I know Bones will do everything in his power—”

“I suggest we discuss what you deemed so imperative,” Khan snapped, his voice effectively level.

“Alright, I’ll be direct then.” Jim sharpened his tone as well. “We’re backtracking and en route to Regula I. The ship is full of holes and drained of power, so we’re being towed by the _USS Lucidity_ , which is under the command of Rear-Admiral Lance Cartwright.”

As he suspected, the name provoked a spark of light in Khan’s eyes that Jim hadn’t seen since their reunion in the Pit of Ceti Alpha V.

“You know the name,” said Jim.

Khan blinked heavily and nodded. “He is Section 31. One of Marcus’s favorite agents. In the time that they used me to gather intelligence on the Klingons, I often worked with Cartwright.”

“Is there any chance he really is here to help us?”

Khan looked skeptical, but it was Spock who proved to be the hope-crusher.

“The Klingons were given an anonymous tip of Khan’s whereabouts and there is a well-established Section 31 facility on Ceti Alpha VI. It would be highly coincidental that Cartwright, a member of Section 31, is not in some way aware or involved with either case.””

Kirk suddenly wished he thought to brief Spock on the fact that he didn’t have the chance to tell Khan about any of that. The augment’s eyes widened and took on an inhuman silver sheen.

“What.” He barely seemed able to breathe out the one syllable.

“That’s what I was going to tell you, Khan… when we were attacked…” Jim inwardly cringed. “Spock got more than just planetary readings off Ceti Alpha VI that we couldn’t talk about on an open channel…”

Khan looked to Spock. “What did you find?”

Jim was relieved to see the Vulcan step forward helpfully.

“Ceti Alpha VI contains an abandoned Tellarite mining operation that has been occupied by Section 31. I spoke with the commanding officer of the base and she told me that the location is meant to be a top secret weapons facility. I did not see enough to disprove that fact, but there was more than sufficient indication to infer that they were aware of your presence on Ceti Alpha V due to the fact that they were more than capable of detecting the Klingons.”

Khan was attentive, unblinking and unmoving as he seemed to soak in every word. Jim, all the while, watched Khan. He was trying to read any hint of rage, fear, confusion, anything that could help him predict Khan’s reaction.

“What is the commanding officer’s name?”

Spock paused, seeming to weigh the possible repercussions of giving her name. He must have reached the same conclusion Jim did that Khan’s knowledge of Section 31 and its agents could benefit them, whether or not he was on their side. It was comforting for Jim to think that he was thinking logically.

“Commander Thel.”

 “I don’t know her… But I do know Cartwright. I would prefer it if he did not know about me.””

“So would I,” Jim scoffed. “But something tells me we don’’t have much choice in the matter. We should assume that he does know without giving ourselves away if he doesn’t. He said he wants to speak to me when we reach Regula I. I’m sure I’’ll find out everything we need to know then.”

“Until then, there is little we can do.” Spock didn’t sound like he was addressing anyone in particular, but Jim saw his gaze flicker towards Khan.

“What of Kati’s child?” Khan said suddenly. “Is it alive?””

Jim had almost forgotten. He hadn’t seen the baby, he only saw the blood. “Yeah, she’s in McCoy’s care at the moment… Did Kati ever choose a guardian for the baby if anything happened to her?”

“None that I would allow.” Khan spoke with finality. “When Dr. McCoy declares the child out of danger, it will be under my charge.””

Jim didn’t like this. True, Khan was the leader of his own people, but Kirk never did sit well with the no-meddling policy. Of course, Khan and his crew were not by any stretch of the imagination applicable under the Prime Directive.

“We’ll discuss who the baby goes to once McCoy declares her stable enough to be removed from observation.” Jim stated it plainly, hoping to deal with it later while they had so much else on their plate.

Khan wasn’t satisfied with that in the least. But Jim was at least relieved when the augment leader nodded. “Of course, captain.”

“In the meantime, you’re welcome to hang around here or return to your quarters. Bones will notify you as soon as he has any news on Marla…”

“I am staying,” Khan said without needing to consider it.

“If there is nothing left to discuss here, I should like to report to the bridge,” Spock said to Jim.

“I’ll meet you up there, Spock…”

Spock glanced to Khan, then nodded and swept noiselessly from the room.

Jim expected Khan to make an equally quick exit, but after the door slid closed behind Spock, the two of them simply stood there, silent and motionless. Khan stared forward, his profile facing the captain, his eyes not seeming to focus on anything at all. Jim felt he should either nudge him out of the room, or say something. Instead, all he could think to do was clear his throat and step towards the exit.

“They’re going to find us,” Khan suddenly said, his voice low and ominous.

Kirk knew who he was talking about. The threat of Section 31 was now looming heavily over them all.

“Probably,” he wasn’t going to lie. When Khan said nothing, Jim finally had something to say. “Would there be any sense in asking you not to hurt anyone?”

“You may _ask_.” Khan drew out the last word and Jim took the meaning loud and clear.

“But I couldn’t get your word on it.” He translated Khan’s implication.

“Not without that word being broken, captain…” Khan finally blinked and turned his head enough to look at him. “I will always do what I must for my crew. You know this.”

“I do. A little too well. Listen Khan, I want to get this out. I don’t know what’s going to happen once we reach Regula I. I don’’t know what Cartwright is going to do or what the Klingons intend to do after all that’s happened. But I want you to know I’m on your side. I want to help, so _please_ come to me first. Whatever is happening, I am not your enemy.” _Unless you make me one_ , he added mentally. “You asked me not to give you a reason to kill you. That goes both ways.””

Khan’s lips parted with what might have been surprise at Jim’s sudden threat. Or maybe that was approval. If anyone could understand the lengths in which Kirk would go for his crew, it was Khan.

“Understood,” Khan said plainly. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, captain……”

Jim nodded and watched as Khan walked briskly from the room.

  

* * *

 

Not since their last endeavor on the _Enterprise_ had Joaquin’s loyalty for Khan been so challenged. From the rumbling beginnings of the Eugenics Wars to the devastating exile from Earth 300 years ago, Joaquin would follow his prince.

So it left him feeling cold and a little sick in his otherwise powerful body to see his leader bypass them all, ignoring the cries of his people and all for one inferior woman.

Unlike many of his augmented counterparts, however, Joaquin had come to approve of Marla Singh née McGivers. She held her own well, asked little, gave a lot. She taught young Joachim things that his own not-poorly-educated father never could, and she was a friend for Joaquin’s dear wife, Amy.

It was with some effort that Joaquin didn’t let his grief over Amy’s death, along with the further loss of their home and life, turn into bitterness towards the leader he loved and Marla. Joachim’s childish and unshaken admiration for Khan helped his father retain his own. But the other augments were talking and it was beginning to penetrate Joaquin’s will in a way that alarmed him.

Many of the augments, after being sent back to their quarters, gathered in Joaquin’s room. He sent the child to Roanna’s room with the others while the adults discussed their business uninterrupted, and in private lest the children witnessed the growing divide between them all.

“How is this anything new?” Olga had said during the conversation. “We’ve always known Khan to get distracted by his own personal issues. Kati always said he was an emotional, melodramatic hothead.”

A few people nodded their agreement, the others more complacently silent than Joaquin liked.

“You’re conveniently ignoring everything that Lord Khan has done for you,” Joaquin made sure his voice carried over them all and he was grateful that they still respected him enough to listen. “While the rest of us were sleeping and vulnerable, he protected us and fought for us against a new world order that was born in our absence. He could have escaped and looked after his own survival and we never would have known. He nearly died countless times in the process and may not have succeeded at all in reviving us had it not been for Marla. You owe them both your lives. We all do.”

“Joaquin…” Rodriguez spoke for the first time since the small conference started. As expected, he was lurking in the corner with Otto glued to his side. “Even you have to admit that it’s suspicious what happened between Kati and Marla. We all know how much they disliked each other. The two go into that observation room and only one comes out alive? The child cut out of Kati?”

"The ship doctor said it was by her own hand,” Gelya spoke up.

“A last ditch effort to save the baby after Marla tried to kill her.”

Joaquin recognized the traces of treachery in the accusations. “Do you honestly think an average woman like Marla could get the upper hand with a powerful warrior like Kati?”

“If she were to take advantage of the opportunity presented by the Klingon attack—yes.”

He couldn’t tell if Rodriquez truly believed his own theory, but the fact that he voiced it had a few augments frowning, seeming to seriously consider the possibility. Joaquin didn’t believe it for a moment.

“No one has spent more of their time around Lord Khan and his wife than I have,” Joaquin had to raise his voice over some sudden whispers. “Never, in all these years, have I ever seen her show any desire to harm or kill, not even those who wanted to do the same or worse to her. You all mocked her for it, called it a weakness. Look how easily you change your minds now when it suits your vendettas.”

Gelya nodded firmly, and Joaquin appreciated having the woman back him up.

“Doesn’t anyone remember how she reacted when Khan executed Hans?” she threw back the accusatory tone. “She was horrified! She slept in my house for the next two weeks, she wasn’t even talking to Khan.”

“And Khan apologized like a kicked puppy,” Rodriguez added with a sneer. “That’s the problem here. Khan lets himself be controlled by that bitch. Hans never would have gone crawling to his wife for her approval, even if it was Kati.”

“Just the same, Kati would not have tolerated a man who could be so easily controlled by her,” Otto added. “Hans refused to buckle, he was committed to _us_ , not his own domestic problems.”

“Then why don’t you call on Hans for leadership, if he’s so superior to Khan?” Gelya was standing up now. “Oh, how could I forget. There’s nothing left of him to call on.”

“His death is only proof of Khan’s madness!” Rodriguez moved out of his corner at last. “Hans received no trial, and his execution was completely dishonorable and inhumane!”

“He got what was coming to him,” Joaquin raised his voice to be heard clearly. “Just like any other traitor. Rodriguez, I’’m warning you here and now, as a friend and ally. Do not cross Khan. If you’re loyal he will defend you to the ends of the universe. But god help you— _any of you_ —who betray him for your petty complaints. If we’re to survive we must stay united and the only way we’ll be united is under Khan.”

Rodriguez was unmoved by Joaquin’s warning and plea. “I refuse to trust my life in the hands of a man who would trade it for his Starfleet whore. We each have a genetic makeup that makes us worth ten thousand of her, and if Khan won’’t remember the value of our superiority than I will. Hans remembered our purpose, and so did Kati. You can run to your master, Joaquin, and tell him everything I’ve said. He won’t even notice so long as he fawns over his inferior woman.”

“You foolish ingrate!” Joaquin’s temper was lost in an instant and Gelya held him back by one arm. “We’re on an enemy ship that’s in the middle of a war! If you challenge Khan now, you’ll get us all killed!”

“I’m not going to start a war,” said Rodriguez. “I’’m just going to let him know he doesn’t own us like pets or cattle. And to start, I’m going to make sure he makes no claim on Kati’s daughter.”

Joaquin didn’t know Khan’s plans for the child, though he suspected there were some in place. The child, though hardly a few hours old, was already a potential recruit for either side of this brewing conflict, and Joaquin knew whose side deserved it.

“That infant is follower of Khan by default,” Joaquin stated as if the law had actually been written. “Just as you are.””

Rodriguez then smirked insolently. “We’ll see.”

He then walked directly for the door.

“You aren’t dismissed!” Joaquin roared at him but was completely ignored.

Otto, as always, followed Rodriguez out of the room. But Joaquin broke into a cold sweat when half of the other augments in the room rose and followed, including Olga, their heads high in silent defiance. A few remained, some looking confident in their decision to remain loyal to Khan, others showing doubt in their restlessness. Gelya’s face was pale, her eyes intent as she looked to Joaquin. She clearly felt the same way he did.

“It’s finally gone too far, Joaquin…” she said quietly. “Khan can’t possibly earn back their allegiance now. What happened with Marla and Kati is the last straw.”

There was blood in the future. It was inevitable at this point. Whichever side wins will have a lot of orphans in its ranks. Joaquin knew there was only one thing left to do.

“Lord Khan will know of this.”


	21. Chapter 21

 

His smock was soaked in sweat and blood. He had only been at it for a couple of hours but it felt like an eternity working to stop the bleeding, to keep Marla's body from shutting down and crumbling into itself. Finally, when she was stable enough—and he had reached the limit of his ability—he stepped out of surgery to a room full of occupied bio-beds.

Most of the patients were the ship's crew, but half a dozen were augments, two of them children. None were seriously harmed thanks to their genetics. Bones quickly spotted Khan among him injured people, though he wasn't interacting with them. They looked content enough, McCoy could only assume that he had already given them more attention than he had previously when he knew Marla was injured. For now, Khan was pacing slowly with a contained restlessness in front of the window, the field of stars behind him.

With a long, exhausted sigh, McCoy approached him, and though his steps made no sound, Khan turned suddenly and expectantly.

“How is she?” The warlord’s voice sounded small and uncertain.

“She’s all right,” the doctor said vaguely. “But I can’t guarantee for how long. I managed to stop the bleeding, but the damage has been done and her body can’t possibly heal itself quickly enough for her to recover fully. Which leads me to my next point…” He didn’t want to beat around the bush. “That blood of yours. I made a death-reversing serum out of it once, half as much could easily save her life now.”

Khan was already pulling off his cloak before McCoy even finished his sentence. Honestly, the doctor didn’t think he would be reluctant anyway. After all, he was highly cooperative in the past when blood needed to be drawn. Khan was left in a long sleeved tunic, his cloak folded over and handed off to one of his people who were lounging nearby.

“All right then, follow me,” McCoy turned and led the way into the medical lab.

There were only a couple of medical officers in there working and Bones went to the centrifuge. There was an empty syringe ready and waiting for him and he took it up. Khan had just rolled up his sleeve, his arm out and ready. The empty hypo was put to the flesh, a small hiss escaping from it when the skin was painlessly punctured. As he slowly drew the blood, Khan watched the crimson fill the clear tube.

“Is this guaranteed to save her?” Khan suddenly asked.

McCoy knew he hadn’t given the full details of Marla’s state and Khan hadn’t quite asked.

“Guaranteed? No, nothing ever is…” McCoy’s brow quirked with sudden anxiety, blues fixed on the augment’s forearm. “But she’s fighting. No surprise there, I suppose…” He finished drawing the blood.

Khan hadn’t retracted his arm yet. “Do you need more?”

“This is more than enough to make a serum… You can bleed out for her later.” The last part slipped out, but he meant it. He was fairly certain that Khan would have given a limb or two if he thought it necessary.

There was some reluctance when Khan rolled down his sleeve again. Dr. McCoy was ready to walk away to get to work, but he stopped in mid step and faced Khan again. “Would you like to see her while I prepare the serum? She’s in an induced coma, to allow her brain time to heal and to keep her comfortable, but I think she’d be able to hear you regardless.”

Khan’s eyes lit up with hope, but it quickly turned to a look that could only be compared to terror. With surprisingly uncharacteristic nervousness, Khan nodded.

“Take me to her.”

 

Marla was put into the recovery room, which was private from the rest of the sick bay’s less-critical patients. It was quiet, even the usual beeping of the monitors had been hushed to an almost inaudible level. McCoy walked in first but stepped aside to allow Khan admittance. Out of cautious habit more than anything, he practically pushed his back to the wall to give the augment as much room as possible.

The doctor intended to leave the man alone with his unconscious wife, to get to work on making the regenerative serum, but he found himself staring. It was partly fascination, partly pity to see the fearless leader of supermen timorously approach the stillness that surrounded his wife’s bed, the usual hard edges of his face were softened into a childlike worry.

Khan no longer regarded McCoy as he stole to her side and laid his hand atop hers where it lay at her side. His strong hand curled around her wilted one and he leaned over her, kissing her gently at the corner of her mouth. His gaze never left her ashen face and McCoy’s ears could barely register the low rumble of Khan’s voice as he murmured to her, though the words were too quiet to make out. He felt bad for the ex-warlord, but not enough to offer more words of comfort. He had already given his rather optimistic diagnosis and was ready to get back to his job in saving her.

When the doctor walked out of the recovery room, he suddenly found himself staring into the gruff face of Joaquin, Khan’s first lieutenant who was unfriendly, even by McCoy’s standards.

 “Where is Lord Khan?” Joaquin demanded.

 McCoy rose a single eyebrow at the insolent tone within his own Sick Bay. “He’s with his ailing wife, in case you haven’t heard.”

 “Where?” Joaquin snapped.

 “I’m not inclined to tell you if you’re just gonna go in there and bother them. This is a medical bay, not a war room.”

 “There are things I must discuss with my leader that do not concern you. I’ll find him myself if you don’t tell me where he is. He is not your patient.”

 “You wanna bet? Not all injuries are physical, my friend.”

 Joaquin’s face only hardened, not seeming to have the tolerance for any psychological or philosophical discussion.

 “All right, all right…” McCoy waved his empty hand, the other still holding the blood sample from Khan. “Wait ‘ere. I’ll see if he’s willing to see anyone. And don’t worry, I’ll mention you by name…”

 This finally seemed to satisfy the beast of a man who only huffed once then folded his arms in demonstration of forced patience. McCoy passed through the door to the recovery room and waited for it to slide closed again before speaking.

"Your pit bull Joaquin’s here,” he said quietly but clearly.

Khan still hadn’t moved from Marla’s side, both hands enclosed around hers, nor did he look at the doctor. “Send him away…”

“He seems pretty adamant.” McCoy argued Joaquin’s case with little verve.

Khan stirred with a slow movement as one hand shakily raked through his black mane, pushing it from his eyes as his head seemed to hang a little lower. “I will speak to him later…” His voice trembled, and that was more than enough for McCoy.

“I’m not your secretary,” Bones murmured, “but consider me your doctor. I’ll be happy to send the message.”

Once again, Khan disregarded him, seeing only his wife. Maybe it was foolish to have expected even a thank you, but McCoy still felt entitled to it.

“Yer welcome…” he mumbled out of the side of his mouth as he turned and shuffled out of the recovery room again.

Joaquin was right where he left him, looking like a granite statue (and probably as solid as one).

“No dice. Khan is in no state to see anyone. He made it very clear that he’d speak to you later.”

“Did he say when?”

“Sorry.”

Joaquin’s mouth tightened, but it didn’t seem to be out of anger towards McCoy this time. There must have been something quite worrisome on the augment’s mind and the doctor only hoped it was an isolated problem—that is, something that wouldn’t endanger the rest of the whole damn ship.

Just when McCoy thought he was done, Joaquin leaned in a little closer. “The baby is here, correct?”

"You mean Kati’s? Yeah, she’s here. She’s remarkably healthy, all things considered, and she’s in safe hands, so you and your crew don’t need to worry.”

 “I’m confident that Lord Khan would approve if I suggest that the child is put under security, or at least close observation.”

 McCoy’s stomach turned a little with sudden anxiety. “You tellin’ me someone’s planning a kidnapping?”

 Joaquin only shook his head. “Just watch her closely. Should anything happen to that child, we will hold you personally responsible.”

 “So would I.” Bones said with a dry throat.

 Without another word, Joaquin marched in a straight line out of Sick Bay, not even stopping to see his other augmented counterparts who occupied bio-beds. After the favors he had just done for Joaquin, he tried to take that so-called suggestion as a friendly warning.

"Yer welcome…” Another grumble as McCoy finally went for the medical lab to work on the serum that would save Marla’s life.

               

* * *

 

 With Scotty overseeing the extensive repairs of the ship, McCoy juggling the casualties of both crews, and Spock holding the conn, Jim was doomed to go onto Regula I alone for his ominous meeting with Rear-Admiral Cartwright. As soon as the moorings were attached and the docking procedure declared complete, the Chief in charge of Regula I asked Kirk to report to his office at the first opportune moment.

The tension that riddled his body only worsened the pain of his still-healing collar bone where the bat’leth had cut into it. McCoy did what he could to repair the damaged bone and tissue, but it still ached and was extremely tender to the touch. The tight collar of his grey dress uniform rubbed against it and only half the time could he resist the urge to tug at his collar for some relief. Before he left the _Enterprise_ , Uhura found him at the last moment.

 “Mind if I join you?” she smiled.

 Jim didn’t hold back a smile, being glad for the moral support. “Not at all.”

 They walked together through the corridors of Regula I, occasionally weaving between scientists and their equipment as it was hauled from lab to lab. Since Regula I was primarily for science, it wasn’t afforded the same architectural vastness of the other starbases and stations for its hallways, since all of the extra space was given to their tools of trade.

 Any place crowded with intellectuals was very nearly a paradise for the likes of Spock, or even McCoy, but for Jim it made him feel more out of place than ever. He could also plainly see how Carol could feel at home here.

 “Are you going to see her?” Uhura suddenly said, as if she could read his mind.

 “Who?”

 “Carol,” she chuckled. “She’s still here, isn’t she?”

 He could tell by her tone that she knew very well that Carol still resided on Regula I and Jim frowned at her.

 “You still talk to her?”

 She eyed him, unimpressed. “She broke up with you, not me. And she’s my friend.”

 He suddenly felt self-conscious and his gaze flickered askance occasionally to look at her. Finally, after a few miserable seconds, he mumbled. “Does she talk about me?”

 Uhura’s lips pressed tightly together, clearly to keep in any response.

 Jim had the briefest moment of temptation to shake the answers out of her, but for once reason prevailed and he looked straight ahead as they walked together. “Never mind, it doesn’t matter… I mean, I doubt she would have anything good to say about me. Not that she’s even talking about me. I don’t talk about her…”

The more Jim struggled to seem indifferent, the more obvious he knew he was becoming. Nyota’s hand suddenly closed around his forearm, gently urging to stop walking. As soon as he did, she regained the professional distance, though she looked at him caringly.

“I’m meeting up with her while we’re here,” she said softly. “I can talk to her, if you want me to.”

Apparently, Uhura was never off the clock and always needed a message to relay.

“No, that’s alright, I really don’t think…” he tried to form some refusal of her offer, but it seemed more and more appealing in the face of everything that scared him about seeing Carol again. “Nyota…” he began quietly, but paused to glance at a passing scientist. He then hesitantly asked the question that had always been on his mind. “Does she even _want_ to see me?”

The small smile that appeared on Uhura’s face was a little sad and Jim braced himself for the answer. She opened her mouth to respond when another voice broke in.

“Captain Kirk?”

A Lieutenant Commander stood nearby, a portly middle aged man who clearly spent most of his time behind a desk.

Jim was dying to hear Uhura’s answer, but a part of him was also terrified. So, spinning into his professional persona, he faced the man who addressed him.

“Yeah, I’m Kirk.”

“Very good. Chief Prescott and Rear-Admiral Cartwright are waiting for you in the Chief’s office—right through there.”

“Thank you.”

The Lieutenant Commander left as quickly as he came, abrupt and busily. Remembering just what was waiting for him on the other side, Jim took a deep breath. He had to get his head in the game. He couldn’t think about Carol right now.

“Captain?”

He stopped in mid turn and faced her again. “Yeah?”

“I also wanted to ask your permission to assist Commander Garrovick in his investigation.”

“What for?”

Her gaze dipped briefly before meeting his again with confidence. “Because of the baby. Whatever happened on that observation deck might influence what happens to her, and I just want to make sure she ends up where she belongs.”

Jim’s head was starting to hurt with all the things he had to worry about. But having Uhura look out for Kati’s baby was a small weight off his shoulders. “Permission granted. Garrovick might need someone to help him keep his perspective…”

Garrovick was a good officer, but he did tend to have a hot head.

“Another thing, sir,” Uhura spoke before he could walk away. “Carol is just as scared… and just as eager to see you, too.”

There was a flutter in Jim’s chest and he let a smile slip before forcing it down again. He managed a stoic nod, to play it as cool as he could. His superior officers were waiting for him on the other side. He couldn’t walk in grinning.

“Good luck,” Uhura offered an encouraging smile before turning gracefully on her heel and walking away down the corridor.

Lifting his head and squaring his shoulders, he passed through the doors after they slid open to admit him. The office was tiny, lacking in all the grandeur of most other Starfleet offices around the Federation. But it seemed homey enough with the Chief’s family photos surrounding him, as well as a few knick-knacks of collectibles on his desk.

Chief Prescott himself was sitting on top of his desk, an effeminate man, but exuding complete capability in the face of his superior who was seated comfortably in front of him. Cartwright slouched in the lounging chair, and the two men looked more like neighbors chatting rather than two military officers.

“Ah, Captain!” Prescott said with a friendly smile. “Here at last. How’s your ship?”

“She’s been better, sir.”

“Terrible what happened! But you made it to safe harbor, at least. You’ll find Regula I is more than equipped to get her back on her feet. So to speak.”

“You run a fine facility, sir. I’ve heard great things about the work being done here.”

Prescott beamed like a father and practically hugged himself when he folded his arms. “Why thank you! Those are high praises from the captain of the _Enterprise!_ Especially when you haven’t even heard half of what we’re doing here. Brilliant minds, all of them.”

Kirk thought only of Carol, remembering their days together and how she was always as beautiful as she was intelligent, and he smiled. “I believe it, sir.”

Cartwright cleared his throat, drawing the attention of the other two men. “While I’m not averse to singing the praises of Regula I—it is impressive, Cory, don’t get me wrong—we have some very important matters at hand.”

“Yes, yes, of course…” Prescott pushed himself away from the desk. “Captain, I’ll be seeing you around, I’m sure. I’ll see you later, Lance.”

Cartwright gave the man a small wave as he watched him exit the office. Jim didn’t need to turn very far in his glance around the room to see that they were now alone together.

“Now then…” Cartwright began. “I think both of us have become deep enough in Starfleet’s affairs to where I don’t need to beat around the bush…”

Kirk was relieved to hear that, though that didn’t keep his heart from racing with apprehension. “Agreed, sir.”

Cartwright, who was still sitting, pointed to an empty chair. “Sit down, Jim, you can relax. You’re among friends.”

Jim wasn’t ready to believe that, but he at least put on the appearance that he did. With a small, albeit fake, smile he seated himself across from the Rear-Admiral and offered his full attention.

“I know you’ve been wondering,” Cartwright began casually, “and the answer is ‘yes’, I am with Section 31. And yes we know that your unauthorized passengers are the augments that you yourself had reported dead six years ago.”

Kirk’s pulse was pounding so loudly in his ears that he almost didn’t hear the last few words. But true to his character, the more threatened he felt, the cooler he appeared.

“The truth is, captain…” Cartwright finally leaned forward, his elbows on his knees. “We’ve known from the start that Khan and his people never died. As soon as we got your report about the supposed mutiny, we investigated to see if we could find the augments that you claimed had to be jettisoned for the safety of your crew. We found most of the cryotubes in the area, though not without some difficulty. And it wasn’t long before we found the only planet in that sector with life on it.”

Jim was staring now, his cool façade now revealing the bewilderment that was overwhelming him.

_The whole time._

All these years, Jim congratulated himself on his darkest secret, when it was never a secret at all. They knowingly approved the five-year mission for a man who had violated not only Starfleet regulations, but Federation law. He always knew his time as captain of the _Enterprise_ was borrowed.

“Then…” He felt the stutter in his voice and focused to correct it without clearing his throat. “Then why now?”

“Well, you’re not losing your command, if that’s what you’re asking,” Cartwright smiled, but it didn’t make Jim feel any better. “You’re too valuable to Starfleet, Captain Kirk, and so are Khan and his people. Yes, Section 31 has known about them and has been monitoring the progress of their colony. Officially, however, and by and large, no one else knows that they are still around. Most upper division officers in Starfleet are unaware and unauthorized to know Section 31’s intel. They all think Khan is a long-dead problem. Don’t get me wrong, I intend to keep it that way. We have bigger issues brewing around us that don’t allow for the additional complications that Khan’s lot would bring.”

"The Klingons.” Jim ventured to guess the obvious.

“The Klingons,” Cartwright confirmed with a solemn nod. “With their recent transgressions into Federation Space, the scale is tipping again towards war. There’re a lot of arguing and delegations going on right now, Jim, that you’re lucky you’re not involved in yet. The Klingon Council swears it didn’t authorize any attacks, but some rather distinguished Klingon households are flat out admitting that they were responding to what could only be described as a bounty put on Khan’s head where the prize is honor. The fact that the Klingon Council can’t put a leash on its own elite, or doesn’t want to, just makes it clear that whether or not they admit it they want to incite a war. I can tell you that we’re ready for it when it comes, more than we were before you went on your five-year mission.”

“So what does all this mean for my ship?” Kirk always knew the _Enterprise_ would end up being called to action with the Klingons in some form or another.

“Less about what it means for your ship, more about what it means for your stowaways…”

There was a deliberate ominous tone in the Rear-Admiral’s voice. Kirk’s hand closed into a fist on his knee. “Sir, all I’ve ever meant was to find a home for the augments. I never intended to drag them into a war that isn’t theirs.”

“We’ll skip the debate of whether or not it was Khan or the Klingons making them part of the war. The simple fact is that they’re in it. It could be a blessing in disguise for them, though…”

“Sir?”

“Ordinarily, we’d apprehend them and put them on ice like we did before so that their DNA could be analyzed. They’re basically living relics that we could learn a lot from. Given the circumstances—what with the war—they could be more useful to us awake and free.”

 “You mean recruit them?” Jim’s eyes narrowed with doubt even as he said it.

“Exactly. Many attacks and battles had been avoided seven years ago in the brief period that Khan was working for Section 31. His skills as an engineer and a spy advanced well past the Klingons’, and that was just him on his own. With the rest of his crew on our side, we could win this war before it even starts.”

“With all due respect, sir, if you plan to hold some of them hostage to ensure the cooperation of the rest, that didn’t pan out so well the last time. And like you said, that was just one man.”

Both of Cartwright’s brows rose with some surprise and he leaned back. “If I didn’t know any better, captain, I’d say you were threatening me.”

“You were there at Daystrom and when the _Vengeance_ crashed into San Francisco, I don’t need to threaten you.”

Finally, some grimness appeared on the Rear-Admiral’s face, no doubt as he remembered the death and destruction that still resonated in the bay city. It still had a scar from the crashing of the _Vengeance_.

“I lost friends, too, Kirk,” he said flatly. “I was sitting right next to Christopher Pike when that conference was attacked. No, I won’t be making the same mistake that Alexander Marcus did. He meant well but was misguided in his methods… I daresay he even lost sight of what he was trying to accomplish in the first place. No, I have a different way to persuade Khan and his people that I’d like to think is much less heavy-handed. I have a proposition, which I hope to discuss with Khan face to face if you can arrange it.”

The idea of getting Khan in the same room as a revered Starfleet officer made Jim’s blood run a little cold, but he listened curiously as Cartwright continued.

“I want to offer complete amnesty to Khan and every single one of his people. If I can recruit their services for one Earth year—just one—then I will personally see to it that they are given a planet of their own with Section 31 protecting their secrets and keeping them wiped from the records completely. As an added bonus, all of the pending charges against you and some of your officers will be thoroughly dissolved, and in a year’s time, you will be promoted to Admiral.”

 Everything entering his ears sounded so ridiculous that he was suddenly doubting his sanity. God, he wished Spock was here right now. He could use a little logic.

“You do realize…” Jim said slowly. “That one year may not be a long time for you, but it would be a lifetime for them.”

“What’s one year when they would have generations of freedom ahead of them?” Cartwright spoke without an ounce of doubt. “Khan Noonien Singh is notoriously intelligent, especially when it comes to long term plans. I’m convinced he’ll see the benefit in this proposal.”

Jim wasn’t so sure. It could easily be another enslavement by Section 31 dressed up in flowers and bows. He could tell that his silence wasn’t encouraging the Rear-Admiral, but he didn’t dare make any promises without carefully thinking it through.

“If you were smart, Jim, you’d take the offer here and now…”

There was nothing smart about making a decision for Khan when the man didn’t even know about it. But Jim kept that to himself. “I’ll have an answer by the end of the day.”

“You can bring your answer in twelve hours when I’ll be visiting your ship so that I can meet with Khan. Best not to have him parading around the science station where he can be recognized.”

At least they were on the same page as far as that went.

“All right. I’ll have my answer for you then.”

Cartwright smiled and rose to his feet. “Good. That concludes our discussion, unless you have any questions. Or, you could always join me for a drink. There’s one bar on Regula I, and it might not be the best that Starfleet has to offer, but these scientists do know how to mix a good Antares Quasar.”

Cartwright’s attempt to bond over cocktails only made Jim want to escape faster. But, he put on his best smile. “I’ll take a raincheck, sir. I really should get back to my ship to see how the repairs are coming along.”

“Understandable,” Cartwright still smiled and offered his hand. “See you in twelve hours, captain.”

Kirk gave his hand a firm shake. “Till then, sir.”

He forced a casual gait out the door, and as soon as it closed behind him, he let out a long sigh. No matter how much of that pent up air he released, it didn’t ease the pressure in his chest. He had to prepare Khan for this, and though it pained him to put it off, Carol would have to wait.

 

 


	22. Chapter 22

 

“I really think that you should just go to him. Don’t wait for him to come to you,” Nyota said softly. “Spare him from making at least one tough decision in his life.”

Carol still didn’t seem so sure. She bit her lip with conflict, her eyes looking across the room on her son as he played with a PADD, buried in a lounge chair that was far too big for him. David was about four years old now, a strong boy with the fair features of his parents. They were in the living room area of Carol’s quarters, which only extended as far as a small kitchen in one direction and a bedroom in the other.

“The last time I made a decision for him I’ve regretted it every day since…” Carol finally said.

For the life of her, Nyota couldn’t understand the rift between them. Jim and Carol had always seemed so perfect together in the past. A child should have only brought them closer, not driven them apart.

“You have a chance to do something about it, though,” Uhura tried to be gentle in her argument. “If you let him leave Regula I without seeing you or David, you might not get another chance.”

She knew she didn’t need to remind Carol of the dangers constantly facing the _Enterprise_. Death was always lurking around the corner and one of these days, Jim Kirk’s luck was bound to run out.

Carol suddenly shook her head. “Jim has enough on his hands, he doesn’t need—”

“That’s an excuse,” Uhura said with a small smile, clearly recognizing Carol’s attempt at an escape. “Come with me back to the _Enterprise._ It’ll be fun to see the ship and crew again.”

Nyota caught the tug of a smile at the edge of Carol’s mouth. “David would love it, actually.”

“Huh?” Big blue eyes seemed to pop up from their concentration when hearing his name.

“Remember that big ship that docked here? Would you like to go in it?” Carol asked the boy.

“Yeah! It had a hole in it!” David looked to Uhura, as if to inform her of the discovery. “It was _this_ big…” The PADD was left on his small chest so that he could stretch his arms out as far as they would go. He glanced between his reaching fingertips, as if to make sure the measurement was accurate. “I could see the inside!”

Uhura put on a face of interest, pretending that she hadn’t been onboard when the Klingons blew out the observation deck. “Really? Do you think it’s serious?”

David shrugged and settled himself back to staring at his PADD. “It’s only bad if the shields are broken…”

Carol beamed proudly and looked to her guest. “We heard the _Enterprise_ was coming and watched when she docked. Was it really Klingons? Why did they attack you?”

Aside from the Klingons’ general dislike of all things Starfleet, Uhura knew it was to do with Khan. Carol had no idea the augments were even on the ship, which Nyota had momentarily forgotten when she invited the woman onboard.

“Oh…” She was briefly at war with herself. They had a lot of secrets these days that needed protecting, but the more she thought about it, the more resolute she was. “Carol… There’s something you should know. I could get in some trouble for telling you, since I’m sure it’s considered classified…”

The blonde was giving her full attention, and Uhura could tell she was holding her breath in preparation.

 “Jim might have wanted to keep it from you, too, I don’t know,” Nyota shook her head. “But you’re my friend and this is as relevant to you as it is everyone else. I don’t want you to be surprised by anything.”

“Are you going to tell me what it is…?” Carol’s chuckled nervously, her voice tight with apprehension.

“One of the reasons that the Klingon’s attacked us was because they knew who we had on board… Someone they know as John Harrison…”

The color drained from Carol’s face and she leaned back in her seat. “No…”

“Ceti Alpha V was in danger so we went there to help the colonists. To make a long story short, we had to take them all on board to save them. He’s with them.” She didn’t want to say his name.

“Khan?” Carol asked for confirmation even though it was clear she already knew.

Uhura nodded, her eyes dipping in apology for something that wasn’t even her fault.

Carol’s eyes were back on her oblivious child, all of her motherly fears rightfully ignited by the terrifying figure of her past returning. Uhura didn’t know just how much of a threat Khan really was, but she was nowhere near ready to believe that he was anything even remotely close to harmless, and therefore Carol needed to be aware.

 “Oh God…” Carol breathed. “Why did Jim bring him here?”

“He meant to take him where he couldn’t reach anyone, but the ship was damaged too badly… Are you okay?” Nyota touched her arm.

“Why did Jim bring him _here_?” The question repeated, tinged with more anger this time.

 Nyota felt instant guilt. “Carol, it’s not his fault. Please don’t blame him for this…” Everyone else had given Jim enough hell for wanting to help the augments, after all. “If it helps, Khan and his crew haven’t caused any trouble. Not once. They’re cooperative even if they are high strung.”

Lord, now she was defending them. The world was slowly tipping upside down.

“Once our ship is repaired we’ll be taking them deep into the Beta Quadrant… Maybe even as far as Delta.” It was small comfort, she knew. But it was all she had.

The blonde woman still hadn’t taken her eyes off her child, but her jaw was set tight, her thin brows tightly knitted together. Uhura waited patiently for Carol to speak first, to let her work out the information that she had just been given.

“I’d like to see him,” Carol said at last and very calmly. “Jim, I mean. I want to speak to him.”

 

* * *

 

It didn’t take long for Kirk to find out where Khan was. He was right where he left him, in Sick Bay and at Marla’s side.

“He won’t even talk to his own stooge, Joaquin,” McCoy informed him, holding him back for a moment from going into the recovery room.

“Is she gonna make it?” Jim was reluctant to ask. He was worried about Marla, but he was more worried about what possible coping mechanisms a man like Khan had for loss.

“S’far as I can tell…” Bones said lazily, looking exhausted by the unusually prominent bags under his bugged eyes. “Yeah. She’ll be just fine. I gave her the serum two hours ago and the effects were instantaneous—that blood of theirs is astounding. I’m taking her out of the induced coma, so she’s just sleeping right now. Hasn’t quite woken up yet. I’d like to let her wake up on her own, but until she does, I can’t get a proper reading of her BCP to make sure everything is back to normal. She’d gotten quite a bump to her head, but Khan doesn’t know how lucky he is she’s recovering this fast. You were out like a dead fish for two weeks.”

“Is there a chance she won’t wake up?” It was the realist in the captain who voiced the question.

Again, McCoy seemed too tired to give more than a light shrug at first. “There’s always a chance. Head injuries are unpredictable, even in this day ‘n age. Things are pointing to the up and up and that’s the important thing.”

“Thank you, Doctor…”

McCoy laid a heavy hand on Jim’s shoulder and shuffled away. Jim took this as his cue to finally enter the recovery room where he knew Khan stood watch over his wife. The doors opened much quieter than those of the rest of the ship and when he stepped inside the room was dark, save for the soft light that shone on Marla’s unmoving body and the dim lights emitted from the screens around her.

Khan, in his brooding hunch over her bed and the darkness of his cloak as it draped from his shoulders, looked eerily like some angel of death, his face hidden with his head rested on Marla’s hand as it lay on her thin stomach. Everything was so still and quiet, Kirk thought Khan was asleep. Did Khan even sleep when it wasn’t cryogenic? The last thing he wanted to do was wake up an already agitated bear.

He turned to leave as quietly as he came, the doors opening again as he approached them.

“What now?” Khan’s voice rolled across the room like distant thunder, but lacked in the same zeal.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to disturb you,” Jim cringed inwardly when he caught himself apologizing. “I assumed you were awake.”

Khan slowly lifted his head, but his back remained at a defeated slump. Kirk could see his silhouetted profile against the light on Marla, his features too dark to read though he didn’t look directly at the captain.

“And I assumed you were someone else…” Khan admitted quietly. “The question is the same, however… _What now?_ _”_

Jim made sure the doors slid shut again as he stepped a little nearer to the quiet bed, his voice low as to not bother Marla. “I just spoke to Cartwright.”

“He knows about us?”

“Yes.”

“He’s always known?”

“Yes.” Jim frowned and folded his arms. “How’d you know?”

Khan sighed. “It only seems reasonable if Section 31 has been in Ceti Alpha VI all along. It’s impossible for them to have been so close and remain ignorant of us.”

Maybe it was wishful thinking to have ever thought otherwise. What bewildered Jim the most was the sense of resignation in Khan’s voice. It was a similar disappointment one might express when being roused from a wonderful dream. And Jim had more bad news.

“He wants to meet with you in about twelve hours, if you’re willing.”

“My _will_ is irrelevant to his kind,” Khan seethed at a whisper.

“He wants to offer you and your crew a deal to work for 31 for a year in exchange for amnesty and clear passage to the Beta Quadrant.” Jim said it rapidly, but simply, not wanting to beat around the bush.

Khan suddenly turned his head to look at Jim, all lines smoothed from his face and his lips parted with what could only be described as a blank expression. It was impossible to tell what the augment was thinking.

Finally after a long pause, Khan managed one slow, fearful syllable. “Why…?”

“The Klingons,” said Kirk. “They want you and your crew to help them prevent the war before it starts. Apparently you left at least one good impression the last time you worked as their agent. According to Cartwright, no one will be held hostage this time. Your people won’t be frozen or used as bargaining chips.”

Khan’s eyes narrowed. “And you believed him?”

“I’m not believing anyone at this point,” he said honestly. “I’m part of this deal. He wants your crew to be his agents on my ship for covert missions in the Neutral Zone.”

Khan’s back straightened as he lifted his head. Though his hand never left his wife’s, he turned a little in his chair to better face the captain. “What did he offer you?”

It was embarrassing for Jim to admit he was being blackmailed right beside Khan, but it was an unfortunate truth. “A clean record for me and my crew. Apparently we have a lot of charges that are just waiting to be filed if Section 31 so chooses… Also, a promotion for me, if I want it…”

“Do you trust him?”

The tone in Khan’s voice was surprising. It wasn’t accusatory or suspicious. It was genuine faith in Jim’s judgement. At least, that was how it sounded.

“You said you worked with Cartwright before. Do you think we can trust him?”

Khan’s lips curved nearly imperceptibly in the dark. “I asked you first.”

That almost felt like he was being teased.

“I don’t know,” he said truthfully. “Maybe. I don’t have a lot of experience working with him, I’ve only met him a few times… Pike knew him, though.” He didn’t bother to hide the hard shift in his tone. “They were seated next to each other that night you hit Daystrom. The night Pike was killed.”

Khan showed no reaction. “You mean the night that _I_ killed Pike?”

Something spiked in Jim’s blood. In all this time, he and Khan had never openly discussed this. They never even touched on the subject of Khan murdering his mentor—the closest thing to a father that Jim had ever had. Jim could feel an old anger beginning to rise and he forced himself to swallow it down.

“Anyway… Pike respected him. What are the chances of two admirals turning out like Marcus?” The question was meant to be rhetorical, since he honestly didn’t want to hear Khan’s answer to that. So he quickly continued. “You have twelve hours to think it over. I’m sure he’ll get into more detail when you meet, but before he gets here—since he’s coming onboard—I’d like to know in advance what you’re plan is. My ship and crew are part of this deal, I’d rather not have any secrets between us.”

“Understood…” Khan murmured, his attention wandering back to Marla’s sleeping face.

Jim was sure he could see Khan’s strong frame wither at the mere sight of her. It was hard to look at, since Marla had always been vibrant and strong, Khan even more so. A long silence fell between them. Jim knew he should have walked away, but something had him take another step nearer. It felt like pity.

“Are you okay?” The question formed itself.

He was sure such prying must have insulted the likes of Khan and would be admonished or ignored. But the ex-tyrant, whose face was hidden as he looked to his wife, slowly shook.

“No.”

“She’s going to be fine,” Jim offered optimism. “Dr. McCoy told me she would wake up and be all right.”

“He told me also.”

“See? She’ll be fine.”

The augment’s chest slowly filled with a deep breath, then deflated just as slowly. “Then why am I so afraid?”

The words hit Kirk hard. Khan sounded almost like a child right now, confused and scared.

Jim couldn’t find an answer. “I don’t know…” He tried to think of all the times he had been afraid, when he had found himself in any situation even remotely similar to Khan’s. “Marla’s going to be okay, and maybe that’s what scares you. Because so long as she’s alive, there will always be the risk of losing her. It’s frightening to care for someone that much in a universe you can’t control.”

“The fault, dear Kirk…” Khan said flatly, “…is not in the stars… It’s in ourselves…”

Paraphrasing Shakespeare. That sounded more like the Khan he knew. Though he wasn’t sure what Khan meant by it, it was strangely reassuring that Khan sounded more angry than afraid.

Then, Marla let out a small sound. Khan was instantly on his feet, leaning over her attentively. Jim, even was moving closer with some eagerness. She turned her head just an inch towards her husband, her lashes moving long before her lids managed to open enough for her chestnut colored eyes to meet Khan’s.

She didn’t even know Kirk was there, she probably wasn’t coherent enough to. Khan’s hand squeezed a little tighter around her own, the other brushing along her pallid cheek gently. Her eyes fluttered closed again, a peaceful smile appearing before she seemed to drift right back to sleep. Her vitals were still good and she didn’t seem to be in any pain. The smile alone was enough to give Kirk hope, and by the taller posture that Khan had, it was enough for him as well.

Khan leaned over her, placing a kiss beneath her eye before straightening his posture. He studied her for a moment and finally seemed able to let his hand slip from hers. He breathed a small sigh, one of release. It seemed all Khan needed was to see her eyes to be revitalized.

“I must speak to my people…” he whispered resolutely. Though he sounded stern enough, Jim could hear the elation in him. “They are waiting for me.”

“So I heard,” Jim murmured. “I’m headed to the bridge then back to my quarters to get some sleep before our meeting with Cartwright… But I want to meet with you beforehand, don’t forget.”

“Of course…” Khan gestured for the doors. “Walk with me.”

He made it sound as though it was his ship and Jim was a guest. Kirk let it slide though, this was Khan after all. The captain exited first and Khan joined him at his side. They didn’t get very far through the medical bay, however, when he stopped to speak to his wounded family. He spoke words of comfort and encouragement which Kirk could see brought light to his people’s faces. They needed their leader now more than ever and Jim had no reason to pull him away. He was also feeling completely worn out.

“Briefing room, 0600,” Jim specified the time they were to meet.

“I will have my answer then, captain.” Khan replied amicably.

Jim then left him with his crew and made his way out of the Sick Bay and into the turbolift. As he often did when he was alone in the privacy of that elevator, he let his captainly façade fade away and he let his shoulders slump, his head hang heavily on his tight shoulders. All he wanted was a drink to calm his nerves and to lie down for a nap. He didn’t want to think too hard about what Khan was going to decide to do in regard to Cartwright’s proposal.

The turbolift stopped at a different deck than the one he was destined for and he stepped aside to make room for the boarding crewmembers, his chin lifting as he resumed a strong posture. The other people didn’t step onto the lift, though. It was then that he noticed they weren’t in the _Enterprise_ uniform and one of them was small and decidedly not Keenser. It was a little boy with startling blue eyes, and holding his hand was an equally startling blonde.

“Jim.”

“Carol?”

 

 


	23. Chapter 23

 

“Jim.”

“Carol?”

It was as if by instinct that Carol smiled at the sight of Jim Kirk. It had been about four years since they said goodbye, but just seeing him again it hardly felt like a day. The blank, silly look of confusion on his face almost made her laugh. She missed that look.

She had been terrified up until this point, but now that she was finally able to present David to his father, she was filled with excitement and pride.

“David…” she said gently. “Remember when I told you there was a surprise here for you?”

“Uh huh…” David looked more cautious than excited, his tiny hand holding tightly onto hers.

“Well…” she was looking at Jim again, whose goofy gaping was showing hints of fear. “This is Captain Jim Kirk… He’s your Dad.”

She couldn’t decide who she wanted to look at more, Jim or David. So her gaze shifted continuously between the two. They both had mirroring stares at each other, both with big blue eyes. It would have been hilarious had it not gone on uncomfortably long.

“Jim…” she prompted the man now. “Wouldn’t you like to at least say hello to your son…?”

Jim suddenly blinked rapidly, shaken from his daze, and he opened his mouth. No sound immediately came out. “Uh… Hello.”

“Hi,” David said simply, almost suspiciously.

They were still standing at the turbo lift and more and more crewmembers were trying to get around them politely, but hurriedly as they went about their duties.

“Perhaps we could go somewhere so that we can all catch up?” Carol felt silly instructing a captain on his own ship, but Jim looked dead in the water. She never would have thought to see him so stunned by a surprise, the man who was infamous for thinking on his feet.

“Huh? Oh, right,” Jim cleared his throat. “We can go to the mess hall for something hot to drink or eat…”

“We’ve eaten already,” Carol politely declined. “Nyota took us there, but she had to return to duty. I’d also prefer some place a little more private, if possible…”

Maybe Jim picked a public place on purpose, to avoid the inevitable opening of old wounds, but they had a lot to talk about. And Carol wanted to discuss more than their personal drama. There were also a few people on board that ship that she preferred not to run into by chance.

He nodded subtly, his gaze lowering to the small boy. They looked at each other and Jim finally formed a tremulous smile. David didn’t smile back. The boy was too smart for his age, too analytical, and worst of all, too begrudging. He asked about his father so many times over the years that Carol was running out of justifications for his absence.

“We can go to my quarters then,” Jim suggested.

“That would be lovely.” Carol was overly conscious of her politeness.

The captain then led the way and Carol and David followed close behind. The child constantly looked at his surroundings, fascinated by the new scenery and the wholly different atmosphere of a semi-militaristic ship compared to the calmer scientific world of Regula I. Jim, meanwhile, was looking a little damp on the brow. He was as nervous as she was and it was oddly comforting.

When they reached Jim’s private quarters Carol was hit by a wave of nostalgia. The room hadn’t changed a bit in its spotlessness and tidiness. The only differences were a few added souvenirs that he must have acquired over the years in his many adventures, such as small totems and skulls, even some geometric shapes that could have been art or weaponry for all she knew.

Once upon a time, she had spent quite a significant amount of her time in those quarters.

As soon as they were in the privacy of his room, David slipped free from her grip to curiously approach the shelf of collected items, a tiny hand reaching for one of the alien skulls.

“David, please don’t touch anything,” she said automatically, needing only to see him in her peripheral.

“It’s fine,” Jim smiled politely. “Would you like to have a seat?”

The forced manners felt odd. It was out of place, even with all the years between them.

“Thanks…” she sat in a chair not far from the simple bed.

David, meanwhile, followed suit and climbed into her lap, balancing on her knees and settling into her arms.

 Jim, however, could not be convinced by etiquette to sit down. Instead, he folded his arms and forced another smile.

“It’s good to see you, Carol,” he sounded sincere. “It’s been awhile…”

“It has,” she agreed quietly. “How have you been?”

The question felt so foolish after everything she had heard from Nyota and after the bad blood that was drawn when she and Jim parted ways.

Jim didn’t seem to mock the question as he nodded. “Good!”

That was a terrible lie, but she let him have it.

“And yourself?” he asked.

“Good,” she echoed. Her answer was perhaps a little more truthful, since everything had been very good until the _Enterprise_ showed up.

Jim cleared his throat, his attention drifting to the boy who stared at him from Carol’s lap. “So, David…” He finally moved to seat himself on the edge of his bed, bringing himself to the boy’s eye level. “Tell me about yourself…”

Though Carol could see the fear in Jim’s eye, the fact that he was making the effort to talk to David made her smile. The boy only shrugged, though, seeming too shy to reply. Carol knew her son better than anyone and he was anything _but_ shy, just like his father.

“He’s very clever with botany,” Carol spoke for him. “Aren’t you, David? You should tell him about the latest addition to your greenhouse.”

“Are you really my dad?” David asked, seeming to have not heard his mother at all.

She could see Jim swallow hard, his eyes lifting to her, asking her to answer the question. It was only fair, she knew, since Jim had been cut out of her own volition. And yet, her throat felt dry.

“Of course he is,” she said as encouragingly as she could.

“Then how come I never saw you before now?”

The boy sounded bitter and it cut right into Carol’s heart.

“David…” she turned the boy to try to look him in the eye.

All the while she tried not to look at Jim, who was silent as the grave, waiting for the same explanation.

“Your father is the captain of a very important ship,” she explained. “That means he has to travel all over space exploring planets and making all the new scientific discoveries that we use at home on Regula I. It makes it very difficult for him to be here with you.”

She could see it in David’s face that he wasn’t convinced.

“Tell me, David…” Jim suddenly spoke up. “How big is space?”

The boy looked at Jim and shrugged again.

“Come on,” Jim smiled. “Give me your best guess.”

“Space is infinite.”

Jim’s brows lifted with genuine surprise and he looked to Carol who smiled proudly. “That’s exactly right,” he said. “Which means that it’s bigger than big. This ship is meant to travel to all the unexplored parts of that infinite space, and as big as it is, it’s also extremely dangerous. All that space and danger makes it difficult to get where we want to go or be with the people we want to be with. It took me awhile, but I made it here.”

Jim was lying. He wasn’t telling their son that it was Carol’s own decision that he hadn’t been in the picture and she couldn’t decide if she wanted to kiss or hit him for it.

“You wanted to see me?” David asked.

“Every single minute of every single day,” Jim replied without a beat.

To see how much Jim cared about a child he had never even met only made Carol hate herself more than she already did. She had fought hard over the years to be confident and feel justified in her decision. She wasn’t raised to wallow in doubt. The guilt cut right into her and she was glad that the child wasn’t looking at her as tears welled up in her eyes.

“Did you get the messages that I sent you?” David suddenly asked excitedly.

Carol was caught off guard and she sniffled before looking to the child. “What messages?”

“I wrote letters to my daddy and sent them out into space in bottles so that he would find me,” David explained matter-of-factly. “It works in the stories with oceans.”

That explained why there were missing bottles from one of the bio labs.

“Sorry, I didn’t get them,” Jim was finally honest. “But I sent messages out to you, too, you know.”

“Really? What did they say?”

“They were to tell you all about the weird adventures I was on, and they were asking about your own weird adventures… And to tell you how much I love you and wish I could be there with you.”

Carol felt smaller and smaller as she watched them. She could sense the ice melting off of David as he leaned towards his father.

“I wanna hear about your adventures,” David said sadly, as if he had missed his only chance.

"I’d love to tell you about them,” Jim smiled, though his eyes glistened a little with tears.

“Tell me a story right now!” David was excited now.

“Right now?” Jim laughed. “I’ll have to think of one, gimme a second…” He scratched at his perfectly combed hair. Carol couldn’t tell if it was contemplation, nervousness, or both. Either way, Jim Kirk was rarely one to pause when buying time to think. “Okay… How about I tell you about the planet where anything you imagined, anything you could picture in your head, could become real?”

“That can’t happen!” David said with very serious skepticism.

Carol laughed, half skeptical, but half ready to believe it. She had seen her fair share of strange things in the brief time that she was on the _Enterprise_ for its mission of exploration.

“It happened, all right,” Jim said with conviction. “The crew had gone three whole months without shore leave and needed a break. So, we were looking for a planet for them to relax and came across this uninhabited planet in the Omicron Delta region....”

As Jim went into the story, he had the full attention of both Carol and David. Carol, however, paid a little less attention to the bizarre tale of suspense and weirdness and instead found herself lost in watching Jim. It was almost as though their painful falling out had never happened and that she had never torn his heart out and crushed it under her foot. It almost felt like she was wrong and that they could actually be a family.

               

* * *

 

Word traveled fast among the augments that Marla was recovering, that she was going to live and in all probability, unscathed. Khan asked Joaquin to assemble all of his people together in one place, all except the children. This was a communal gathering, but a delicate one that regarded their future. Joaquin had been unable to have any in-depth discussion with his leader about the growing divide amongst them and it made him more than a little apprehensive about the group meeting.

To accommodate for the hundred or so that was left of them, the meeting was arranged in the damaged recreation room. Not only was it thoroughly abandoned by the ship’s crew, it was considered off limits, which offered the augments some means of privacy. Through one gaping hole, they could see an edge of Regula I against a backdrop of stars.

There was a lot of discussion as they waited for Khan to arrive, speculation on what was to come and whether or not Khan was up for the task of leading them through the unknown. All the while Joaquin sat quietly with Gelya. Finally, after waiting for less than ten minutes, Khan strode through the doors and the room fell silent.

He looked fresher than Joaquin had expected, there was color in his face and his chin was high. He was confident and that could have meant the best or the very worst. In silence they all watched Khan make his way to one of the nearby tables where a man was sitting. One gesture from Khan and he quickly vacated the chair. Their leader then lifted the chair and set it atop the table. One effortless leap and he was also on the table, seating himself in the chair high above them on a makeshift throne.

His dark cloak was spread out as he slouched comfortably, those silver eyes scanning over all the faces below him in one thorough sweep. There was no subtlety in his asserting his dominance.

“As you know,” he began calmly, “the ship is currently docked for repairs at the Starfleet station, Regula I… We were only able to reach it with the assistance of Rear-Admiral Lance Cartwright and his ship, the _USS Lucidity_ …”

Joaquin listened carefully as the information was given plainly. Though he was glad that Khan was communicating with his people again, there was no telling where it was going.

“Cartwright is part of the secret organization in Starfleet, Section 31. Our old friends.” He flashed a venomous smile. “It has been revealed to Captain Kirk that during our entire stay on Ceti Alpha V, Section 31 has been not only aware of our location, but monitoring us.”

Angry and indignant voices began to brew and rise, but Khan raised one hand and they eventually quieted again.

“I will be meeting with Cartwright less than ten hours from now. He intends to make an offer—that the best of us commit to serve Section 31 to pre-emptively fight the Klingons for them in exchange for freedom and amnesty.”

There was dead silence as they all hung on Khan’s every word. But the leader stopped talking. He only looked out at them, closed mouth but eternally observant.

“We’re not going to take it, are we?” one woman spoke out in disbelief.

“We should fight them now!” said another.

“But what if we could get free of Starfleet, once and for all?”

From there the debates and arguments exploded. Joaquin knew that that was Khan’s intent. To lay out the facts then sit back and listen. Joaquin, too, stayed out of the noise of arguments as he watched Khan then watched the others. One argument was beginning to rise above the others, earning more voices and more resolution.

“We should fight them now! We could easily take over Regula I and commandeer the rear-admiral’s ship!”

“The _Enterprise_ has enough weapons for us all!”

“Lord Khan, we’re ready to fight!” McPherson pushed his way towards the front of the throng.

Others pledged their readiness to fight as well, but Joaquin noticed the select few who kept their voices to themselves, namely Rodriguez and Otto. Once again, Khan focused their attention with one hand.

“I admire your allegiance, all of you,” he nearly smiled, “but it won’t be necessary. That is, not at this time. This offer from Cartwright—this _blackmail-—_ that he intends to use to ensnare our free wills for his own devices is the greatest gift we have received thus far. Kirk gave us a planet, but Cartwright is giving us the universe. While serving Section 31 we will be given access to their most treasured technology and secrets. Even if they try to keep them from us, I know where to find them.”

He leaned forward at last, the fire of dawning war in his eyes. “Remember how we led the wars all those years ago! It began in preparation. We lie quiet, we wait. And when the first opportunity arises and the initial strike is made to the flint, then we shall burn through the Federation. My friends… we made the error of settling for one planet. I fault no one, we were still weary from years of war and exile. We cannot do so again, for complacency and small appetite has made us weak and will surely starve us. We once brought order to one world. We can do the same to a galaxy!”

They cheered.

Like so long ago, Khan’s people applauded and Joaquin was one of them for he saw his Prince brandishing the ambition that had once made him great. The elation of his people seemed to provoke the same in Khan, and he smiled proudly as he sat above them. Only when they quieted again did he speak.

“Our plans will solidify in time,” he reassured. “All decisions will be made by me and your orders will reach you confidentially. It is likely only a small number of you will be selected for service in Section 31. After I meet with Cartwright, I will announce what is next for us all. Now go. Before Kirk’s crew has its suspicions fueled.”

There was a buzz of excitement among the people as they gradually left the crumbling recreation room.

“Joaquin, a word.”

That was all Khan had to say. The room fell into an almost deafening thrum as the resting engines of the ship resonated through. Khan stepped down from the throne that he had raised for himself, returning to the same level as his second in command. Joaquin highly respected his prince, but he was also well aware when Khan resigned the superior role.

“I have a special assignment solely for you.”

Joaquin’s chest puffed with honor and responsibility. “Anything, Excellency.”

Khan looked him in the eye, a darkness filling them with a familiarity that almost sent a shudder through the broader augment.

“Find the dissenters. All of them. I want the names of every last traitor among them. Kati’s sway has reached farther than I can tell just yet. So long as her child and my wife are around, they will have pieces to move for their cause.”

“I already have at least a dozen names, Excellency,” Joaquin felt proud to have already identified some of the traitors before needing the orders to do so.

“Good. When you have the rest, they shall be dealt with all at once with no room to grow, cut out like the cancer they are. I had hoped—foolishly, perhaps—that the display I made of Hans would have taught them the consequences of treason. I see now I should have forced patience and not foregone a public trial. I made a martyr of him and only spurred his wife’s convictions. Kati…” The woman’s name came out in a low growl and he walked towards the gaping hole that breathed out into space. “I regret only that I couldn’t kill her myself.”

“The speculation among the crew is that it was an accident what happened between her and Marla,” Joaquin said calmly, as he always did when he sensed rage brewing in his leader.

“Kirk opened an investigation,” Khan explained quietly, “which is futile. Kati is dead, but her allies will pay for what happened to my wife—and for their insurgency. I will not be crossed by my own people.”

Joaquin was not surprised in the least that Khan was prepared to kill people that he had called family, but that didn’t make it any less disconcerting. “Yes, Lord Khan.”

“You may go…”

Khan gestured for him to leave. Without another word, Joaquin did just that. As far as he was concerned, it was not too soon to begin his witch hunt for Khan’s betrayers.

 

 


	24. Chapter 24

David had fallen asleep in Jim’s arms. At some point of Kirk telling thrilling tales from his 5-year mission, the boy had slipped out of his mother’s lap and into his father’s.

It was surreal for Jim. For years he had wondered what it would be like to meet his son—what he looked like, what he might sound like when he talked or laughed. But until now, he hadn’t considered everything else. How much warmth such a small body could have, how he smelled, and how the simple weight of him made Kirk feel strangely humbled.

All of the troubles he had endured of late didn’t matter. Khan’s problems were no longer his, the crippling of the _Enterprise_ a little less devastating. Most of all, he felt as though he might be able to forgive Carol for banning him from his own son’s life. David was in perfect physical health and extremely intelligent for his age and even seemed as happy as any child ought to be. How could Jim argue that he would have been better off for knowing his father?

“Jim…” Carol whispered so that she didn’t wake David. She was slumped tiredly in the same chair that she had taken a couple of hours ago. “How soon will you be gone?”

She sounded eager to be rid of him.

“As soon as the ship is repaired and ready for duty.” The hurt that he felt was hidden well behind a straightforward tone. “Scotty says it could take a week. Maybe two.”

“Then probably three days,” she added with a smile. “According to his usual estimates…”

“You want me gone that soon?” He felt a little childish for voicing it.

She shook her head and met his gaze. “No…” she breathed the word, keeping her voice low. “I wish you could stay, Jim… I want you to know that. I’ve missed you. I’ve missed us.”

Jim couldn’t help the cynical scoff that escaped and the embittered noise made David squirm a little in his sleep. The reminder of the tiny body in his arms calmed Jim. Carol frowned at his skepticism and averted her eyes. He could practically hear her thinking and feel the old arguments itching to resurface. She took in a deep breath.

“ _You_ _’re_ not the one that I want gone,” she said. “I know he’s on this ship. I’m afraid. There is too much that I have to protect here, Jim. Our son, my work, my friends who have become my family…” Everyone and everything is in danger so long as he’s here.”

It was the same argument that Kirk had heard from everyone he knew from the start of this craziness. Hearing it again, and when he was finally beginning to feel some semblance of genuine peace, grated into him like a cactus being slowly pushed into his ear.

“ _I know._ ” It was all he could say.

He was tired of explaining and justifying. He was looking at his son now, unable to see his face from the angle, just a head of curly blond, small breaths taken in shallowly. David didn’t even know him and yet he trusted him because it was his father. David was safe and happy, but Jim brought danger to him.

“I know…” He repeated more quietly.

“Nyota told me why you took him on board,” said Carol. “I know why you feel obligated to do this. I know you. You’ll help them and get them to the Beta Quadrant, but Jim…” she was shaking her head. “There may always come a reason to deal with them again. You can’t keep helping them at the risk of everyone else.”

“Uhura told you where we were taking them?” He wasn’t angry, Uhura was right to. He simply needed the clarification.

Carol nodded.

Jim finally looked up from David to give Carol his full attention. “She doesn’t know the plans have changed.”

Fear filled Carol’s eyes. “What does that mean?”

“I can’t take them to the Beta Quadrant. Nothing’s been decided yet, we’ll know in a few hours, but… All I can tell you right now, Carol, is that it’s classified and better that you stay out of it.”

He knew the word ‘classified’ would be enough to clue her into the nature of it. It was a word she knew well thanks to her father’s involvement in Section 31.

The fear in her eyes was beginning to sear into anger the longer that she looked at him. “I have classified reasons of my own to get them far away from here,” she said sharply. “My work is sensitive and _you_ are better off not getting involved.”

“Carol, I just need you to trust me. Every little decision that I make right now is complex. I won’t do anything to endanger you, David, or Regula I. I promise.”

He wanted her to think he was confident and in some control. He didn’t want her to know just how unsure he was at every turn, how increasingly paranoid, and how alone he was beginning to feel. His friends supported him out of love, not because they agreed, and that was terrifying. Most of all, he never wanted her to doubt his command capabilities. David needed a father that he could be proud of, and Jim didn’t feel that he was even close.

Carol was looking at him in silence for a moment, her expression perfect for poker in that it betrayed no opinion, good or bad. He couldn’t tell if she believed him. He looked back at her, marveling in how little she changed over the years. Her hair was longer, pulled away from her face in a loose but flattering bun. She really was beautiful and it put pressure in his chest as he felt the compulsion to kiss her, had he not been reveling so much in holding his son.

“I missed you, too, Carol…” he confessed, not caring that it was out of the blue.

She smiled. It was the most beautiful thing he’d seen in awhile and he couldn’t help but smile back.

“Oh Jim…” She sighed and canted her head at him affectionately. “I’m sorry our work makes us enemies… And that we’re both too damn stubborn to bend.”

He had to nod in agreement.

“But I want you to know that you can always come see him,” she said softly. “Not just while you’re here for the repairs, but anytime that you’re near us. The door’s always open. You don’t have to stay away. From either of us.”

He was stunned. “You mean that?”

She nodded. “I do… And I’m sorry for telling you to stay away in the first place. David clearly needs a father and you’re the only one he deserves.” She then chuckled. “He’s already so much like you, I’m doomed either way.”

They both laughed and David wriggled a little, drawing Carol’s attention.

“I should get him home,” she said. “Put him to bed so that you can do the same.”

“I’m okay,” Jim lightly protested, hoping to keep them there just awhile longer. He could easily ignore his sleep deprived body, aching eyes, and foggy brain.

Carol was already slowly unfolding from her chair to stand up. “You look exhausted and need all the rest you can get. You’ve been known to burn yourself out.”

“I don’t burn out,” he said defensively. “You can’t stay twenty more minutes?”

“Then twenty will turn into an hour, and an hour will turn into two,” she sounded like she was talking to David. “You can see us whenever you want, Jim, this isn’t a one and only visit. You need rest.”

Even though she told him they had time, he wasn’t prepared to believe it. Reluctantly, he rose from where he sat on the bed, David cradled in his arms. He looked once more to the peaceful sleeping face, still disbelieving that he was there, holding his son.

“My God, Carol,” he murmured in awe. “I can’t stop looking at him.”

Carol smiled and he knew she knew the feeling. This must have been a little of what she felt when David was born, a moment that Jim didn’t get to experience. He was in the middle of some violent treaty negotiations on Caius III at the time and had only heard about David’s birth days after the fact.

She put her arms out, silently indicating that he finally let go of the boy, and he did. It was hard, even a little painful, but he gently put him into his mother’s arms making every attempt not to wake him. He wasn’t very small, and yet Carol carried him with ease and years of practice, his cheek squished on her shoulder, his arms dangling at his sides, and his legs wrapped around her waist as she supported his bottom with one hand, the other delicately stroking his small back.

“We’ll see you soon, Jim,” she whispered and began to turn. But she paused, turned back and placed a kiss on Jim’s cheek. “Get some sleep, captain.”

Warmth was flooding through Jim, filling a void that had been slowly eating at him for all these years.

“I’ll walk with you,” he moved to follow her to the door.

“That won’t be necessary, I remember the layout of the ship quite well.”

He didn’t think she would get lost. He wanted to take every moment he could get with her. Also, he didn’t want her to have an unfortunate run in with any—particularly one—augment.

“No, it’d be my pleasure.”

“So gallant,” she smiled, her cheeks taking on a bit of color. “Really, we’ll be okay.”

There was no danger, Jim knew that. Carol was as safe as anyone on this ship, the current occupants notwithstanding. He also feared to be too pushy when the damage was just beginning to be repaired between them and he was feeling the disorientation of exhaustion. It took all those reasons and more for Jim to convince himself to let her go and do what she said—go to bed.

 

* * *

 

“I had to bypass the circuits to get power running back into this section of engineering, but I think ye’ll see that f’yerself, Mr. Spock.” Scotty bounced a little on his heels as he watched the Vulcan closely inspect the circuits within one of the wall panels.

“Well done, Mr. Scott,” Spock said flatly, his nose practically in the circuit boards. “Although it seems as though these circuits were needlessly crossed—”

Spock criticism of the Scotsman’s work was cut short when the bosun whistle rang through the ship.

“ _Security to the Captain._ ”

Spock calmly stepped away from the circuits and the grumbling Chief of Engineering to approach the comm. “First officer Spock, here. What is it, Commander Garrovick?”

“ _Commander,_ ” a different voice spoke this time. It was Nyota. Though Spock felt a hint of surprise, he didn’t so much as blink. She continued. “ _We_ _’ve finished going over the security tapes of Observation Deck Three. The captain wanted a report as soon as possible._ ”

“I will come to you, lieutenant, and receive the report. Stand by.” He shut off the comm and turned to find himself looking at Scotty’s rear end as the engineer buried himself halfway into the circuits. He was still mumbling and grumbling, and as Spock stepped closer again, he made out some words.

“The circuits are exactly where they need t’be! I think I know m’ own ship’s innards better than someone who sits on the bridge all day starin’ into some sensor screen! I’m leavin’ it as is, and if Mr. Spock doesn’t like it, well he can go—” Scott had withdrawn from the crawlspace and accidentally came face to face with Spock. “Ah… Uh…”

Spock decided to save him the trouble of apologizing or explaining himself by completely disregarding the human complaining that he was already so accustomed to.

“Your work is satisfactory, Mr. Scott, and I will leave you to continue your repairs. I will, however, be expecting a full and intricate report by the end of the day.”

Scotty looked suddenly indignant as his chin pulled in and his mouth fell open. “Mr. Spock…” he breathed, seeming hurt. “When ‘ave I ever reported anythin’ less?”

“Your efficacy in reports is a debate for another time. Now if you’ll excuse me, commander…”

“Aye, commander…” Scotty practically growled and snatched up a nearby PADD. “Keenser! Where ye at with those torpedo reconfigurations...?!”

While Scotty stomped one way to find his small-statured partner, Spock swept away in the other direction to seek out Nyota and Garrovick. Before going off duty, Jim had informed him of Uhura’s involvement in the investigation, and Spock had no reason to dispute it. She was very observant and keen and he knew she had as much interest in objective justice as Spock did.

When he arrived, he found them still hard at work, their hands sweeping to and fro to organize the data that projected on their screens. They stopped instantly though when Spock entered and Uhura was the first to approach him.

“It didn’t take long to watch, they were only on the deck for a matter of minutes before the Klingons hit.” She went right into the explanation.

Garrovick, meanwhile, was pulling up the image of the deck. Spock stood behind where Garrovick sat at the console, his hands folding behind his back.

“In all honesty, Mr. Spock, I don’t really know what Captain Kirk wanted us to be looking for,” Garrovick said tiredly. “He said it smelled fishy—”

Spock quirked a brow.

“Sorry,” Garrovick quickly corrected. “I mean suspicious. Kati convinced Ensign Chou and Lieutenant Stiles to stay outside while she went in alone with Marla. They should have known better, sir, and I’ll be sure to reprimand them for it… Now, playing it through the first time, everything happens so fast that it’s hard to catch what happens. With the sound, though, it’s at least obvious what was _intended._ ”

“Play it.”

Garrovick did just that. The image showed Marla entering first, then Kati practically on her heels. Kati had something in her hand, though she hid it well from the cameras and even Marla. Marla, meanwhile, was visibly defensive.

“ _What do you really want, Kati?_ ” Marla spoke confidently.

“ _I want my people to flourish. I want to cut the deadweight that_ _’s been hobbling our advancement even before we were awoken from our cryo-tubes…_ ”

The threat was indeed clear and Marla obviously recognized by the way that she stepped away.

“ _I want to no longer see_ your _face among the crowd of everyone I love and admire. I want—_ ”

The image flooded with white and the hull of the deck could be seen blasting out into space from the disruptor hit. The attack only caused momentary interference in the feed before it mostly cleared up again, the distortions in the image far too subtle to hinder a clear visual. Both women were thrown from the force, Marla buried from view of the camera and Kati just barely discernible.

“Marla’s out for some time, but Kati recovers almost instantly…”

Garrovick explained as he sped up the image to 3x. He returned it to normal speed, however, just before Kati could be seen stirring. She looked confused, then panicked, looking at whatever object was in her hand. Then, a knife appeared, its blade glistening in the red light of the ship’s alert.

“This is where it gets hard to watch…”

Garrovick winced and looked away, but he let it play for Spock. Spock glanced quickly to Nyota, who was closing her eyes, unwilling to watch it again. But Spock liked to think he had a strong constitution and fixed his attention on the image once more. Kati drove the knife into her own abdomen, pulling it to the side with surprising proficiency for the amount of pain she must have been enduring. She reached into the gaping wound and pulled from it the small, bloody form of her child.

It was indeed hard to watch, and yet the Vulcan had to admire her speed and control as she blew into the baby’s nose and mouth to clear her airways, and only when the infant began to cry with life did Kati set her down and collapse beside her. The augment was bleeding out, but she looked as though she died instantly. Spock was no surgeon, but he knew it took longer than that to bleed to death.

But there was no question as to what the reason was. In his autopsy, McCoy had found an unidentified toxin in Kati’s blood that was obviously administered by some kind of hypo. Though the hypo had yet to be found in all the debris, it only seemed logical to conclude that the object she had been clutching so angrily and in preparation to use on Marla was the hypo in question. The Klingons attacked and Kati was doomed to die, so she saved her child.

Garrovick eagerly reached out and turned off the video and took a deep breath. “There you have it, sir. Uhura and I both agree that Kati wanted to murder Marla and got a taste of her own medicine. Literally.”

The security chief seemed to think himself clever with his turn of phrase, but Spock was not easily amused. He was, however, secretly relieved that Jim was off duty and sleeping at this moment, spared from having to see the video, at least until a more suitable time.

“There is little room for debate with this evidence,” Spock observed. “I will pass on the report to the captain when he returns to duty and he will decide the next step that is to be taken.”

“Do you think any of that poison got into the baby?” Uhura asked, attempting to hide her worry.

Spock looked to her and smoothed the frown from his face. “It is safe to say that had the baby gotten even a fraction of the amount that Kati did, she would also be dead. This toxin—no doubt indigenous to Ceti Alpha V—works quickly and lethally. Kati saved her baby from her own mistake.”

“We can at least thank her for that, if nothing else…” Nyota sounded bitter.

Spock agreed in only a subtle nod for Uhura. “Compile your findings in a report that may be presented to Captain Kirk. You’ll be called upon eventually to bring forth the evidence.”

“Yes, sir,” they both replied in unison.

 

* * *

 

“ _Carol Marcus._ ”

It sounded like a dragon had just crept up behind her in the hallway of the private quarters. Holding David tightly, she spun around before she even had a thought to react.

Khan stood in the very center of the corridor, one augment on each side of him. She remembered his giant sidekick, Joaquin, and the strong woman was only vaguely familiar. Khan himself changed since she last saw him. His hair had grown in length, a little wilder even though it was groomed elegantly. His attire was made up of coarse cloaks in even coarser colors and there was a visible scar along his cheekbone that looked fairly new.

They stood so still, all three of them looking at her, Carol felt ambushed. Her heart was pounding so hard in her chest she was sure she would faint if she wasn’t holding her son. Instead, every fiber of her being was ready to fight even though she took an unconscious step back.

“You needn’t be afraid, Dr. Marcus,” Khan said calmly, his eyes level on her—those eyes that looked like poisonous mercury. They flickered only a fraction to behold the sleeping child, and the mere fact that Khan Noonien Singh was _looking_ at her son made her vision turn red.

“I think I have reason to be.” Her voice trembled, but she looked him in the eye, to prove that she wasn’t afraid of him. She didn’t want to provoke him, but she didn’t want to submit to him either.

“Not anymore,” Khan replied without pause, his eyes still on the child. “That must be David.”

She could feel David waking up, probably from the alarm that rattled her body. He squirmed, wrapped his arms around her neck and lifted his curly blond head to blink painfully at the lights around him.

“I have to go.” She refused to answer Khan’s questions.

“Not so soon, doctor, please….” Khan’s voice rumbled and he stepped forward.

She jolted back and Khan stopped, his chin lifting. He didn’t look insulted or amused. He looked as though he was approaching some skittish creature to either pet or throttle for dinner.

“Stay away from us.”

“Dr. Marcus, you and your son are in no danger from me. The captain has become more than an ally, I daresay he is a friend. I simply wish to see the boy he had talked so reverently about.”

“You see him now, you don’t have to get closer.” Carol replied tersely.

Finally, Khan offered a low bow of his head and stepped back. It was… respectful. She didn’t trust it, but she was relieved with every bit of distance between them.

“You’re my dad’s friend?”

The small voice was groggy with sleep and Carol almost snapped at him to not speak to Khan. But she didn’t want to make the boy feel like he had done something wrong. She didn’t want to scare him.

“He _knows_ your dad,” Carol replied so that Khan wouldn’t have to. “He’s not his _friend_. There is a difference.”

“So there is.” Khan smirked. “Perhaps we will meet again, David.” Khan spoke to the child in spite of Carol’s obvious desire that the two have no interaction. He then looked to Carol again. “It was a pleasure to see you again, Dr. Marcus.”

And without another word spoken, Khan led his two people away and out of sight around the bend of the corridor. Once he was gone, panic filled Carol’s body and she broke into a fast walk to get off the ship as soon as possible. To get David as far away as she could.

 

 


	25. Chapter 25

 

When Jim awoke from his sleep to the sound of his sleeper alarm, he went from dreading the brevity of the sleep to instantly wanting to see Carol and David again. Only five hours had gone by since she left him to get some rest.

He lay there in the quiet of his room for a few minutes, smiling in the dark as he basked in the feeling of truly being a father, for the first time in four years. The _could-have-been_ that always haunted him had been exorcised at last and replaced with a hopeful _could-be_.

Fragments of the more pressing present began to trickle through the euphoria.

_Cartwright._

_Khan._

It was enough to get him out of bed. He had two hours left before he had to meet with the two men. After he showered and put on a clean uniform, he dove straight into the reports of the progress made in the repairs while he had been off duty. As soon as he was caught up and full of two cups of coffee, he called Khan to his ready room 30 minutes before Cartwright was expected to arrive on the _Enterprise._

Jim was fixed behind his desk computer looking over the list of repairs in what had been completed, what was still in progress, and what had yet to be started. It wasn’t as bad as he thought. Carol was right about Scotty always finishing sooner than predicted (not that Kirk didn’t already know this about his chief engineer).

The annunciator chimed at his door.

“Come in.”

Khan entered, looking as stoic as ever. Without a word of greeting, he approached Jim’s desk and sat in the chair opposite.

“Well?” Jim started them off. “Have you made a decision for Cartwright?”

Khan’s chest expanded with a slow, deep inhale. “What if I choose to reject his offer?”

The question almost sounded rhetorical, but Jim chose to answer it anyway. “I think you already have an idea. Section 31 has it out for you if they can’t make use of you. So long as they think you can help them with a bigger problem——namely the Klingons—I think they’ll keep their word.”

Even as he explained it, he didn’t believe that Khan was considering refusing the offer. There weren’t any better options than accepting.

“What if you do refuse?” Kirk threw the question back at him. “What would you do?”

Khan only blinked once, those nebulous eyes flickering to Jim. “I think _you_ already have an idea.”

They were asking each other questions that they already knew the answers to. It wasn’t comforting at all. Khan would fight if he didn’t cooperate with Cartwright, Jim didn’t expect anything less. And yet, it didn’t seem like Khan _wanted_ the fight.

“Cartwright is a man that I have learned can be trusted,” Khan said suddenly. “He is not as radical in his beliefs as Admiral Marcus had been——or if he was, he wasn’t as forthcoming. It’s not without trepidation… but I will accept his offer.””

Jim let out a short breath. “I’m glad to hear it. Fighting’s not always the solution.”

Khan laughed. The tyrant actually let out a deep laugh with a smile, a sight so rare that Jim couldn’t decide if he should be stunned, offended, or scared.

“What’s so funny?”

“‘Fighting’s not always the solution’.” Khan repeated it calmly, though the edge of his mouth still pulled back in a smirk. “The least characteristic words I have yet heard from James Tiberius Kirk.”

Khan was right and in spite of himself, Jim also chuckled. “You accepting offers on other people’s terms isn’t exactly the MO of Khan Noonien Singh, either.””

“It seems that we men of war are able to evolve, after all.”

“We both have a lot at stake here,” Jim pointed out quietly.

If neither of them had crews or families, they would have gotten themselves killed in some foolhardy venture long ago.

“You’re right, though,” Jim added as foreboding crept up on him. “We both need to be cautious going into this. Neither of us made a very good impression on Section 31 and they’ve already proven their willingness to use us. But if Cartwright really is being honest, if he is more honorable than Marcus was, then this could have a positive payoff for all involved.”

“This _will_ benefit my people, I will accept no other payoff.”

“I hate that everything you say sounds like a threat.”

“They are threats, make no mistake.”

That made Jim roll his eyes. Khan was never satisfied unless if someone was afraid of him. The man didn’t know how to operate as anything less than a danger to everyone around him. Dictators.

Before the captain succumbed to the need to make fun of Khan’s ego, he was saved by the comm notification of his computer.

“ _Captain,_ ” Uhura’s voice came though. “ _Rear-Admiral Cartwright will be boarding shortly._ ”

“Thank you, lieutenant.” He turned off the comm and looked to Khan. “I’m meeting Cartwright when he boards. You’re welcome to join, by now there’s really no point in you hiding away.”

“It would be my pleasure.”

Kirk doubted that, but without another word, Khan followed the captain out of his ready room.

They went to the gangplank that attached the _Enterprise_ to Regula I and waited to greet Cartwright. Khan stood shoulder to shoulder with Kirk, making an obvious show of equal authority to the captain. The doors opened and there stood Cartwright, his back straight and shoulders squared as he offered Jim a polite smile, though his eyes immediately shifted with caution to the lean augment beside him.

“Permission to come aboard?”

“Permission granted, Rear-Admiral.”

With the formalities done, Cartwright stepped off the gangplank and approached, his hands straight at his sides. He was looking fully at Khan now, solemn and stern.

“It’s been a long time. I still feel inclined to call you Commander Harrison.”

“And I am still as disinclined to respond to it.” Khan replied with surprising politeness, though the words themselves held a hint of bitterness.

“Shall we go to the briefing room, gentlemen?” Kirk spoke up.

Both of them acquiesced and followed the captain in heavy silence to the briefing room. Jim hadn’t felt this much tension between leaders on his ship since the voyage to the Babel conference some time ago. When they reached the briefing room, there was hot coffee waiting for them. Jim seated himself first as if in demonstration and gestured for Khan and Cartwright to do the same. They looked each other in the eye and simultaneously sat slowly across from each other.

“I can already tell you don’t trust me, Khan,” Cartwright spoke first. “And I don’t blame you. But I want to give you my word that I want to and will help you and your people.”

“On the condition, of course, that we help you first,” Khan said plainly.

“We all need assurances here, don’t we?” Cartwright looked to Kirk now. “I think we should spell out what the proposition is before anyone makes any decisions.”

“Agreed,” said Jim.

“Agreed,” Khan echoed.

Cartwright slouched a little in his seat, getting comfortable even though his voice didn’t lose its command. “Khan, I want to recruit you and about a dozen of your people to carry out the most top secret missions of espionage in the Neutral Zone. Captain Kirk, you and your first officer will also be made privy to these missions, since you will be part of them. We’ll brief Mr. Spock only when we come to a decision.”

Kirk’s chest felt tight. He didn’t want to drag Spock into the secret keeping.

“This means,” Cartwright continued, “that your people, Khan, will be wearing _Enterprise_ uniforms and will be for all intents and purposes members of this crew. The rest of Kirk’s people shall not know of their reason here.”

“They’ve seen them on board as rescued colonists,” Jim pointed out. “There’ll be a lot of questions if they’re suddenly in Starfleet uniforms.”

“We’re going to overhaul your crew.”

“What?”

“We’re transferring all but essential personnel off the _Enterprise_ and getting you a new crew.”

Jim was starting forward in his chair. “Now wait just a damn minute! I’ve voyaged for five years with these people, no one knows this ship like we do. You take them away from me, you'll diminish the efficiency of my ship!”

“A ship is only as good as its captain,” Cartwright argued calmly. “Starships get new crews all the time and new crews ask few questions. Don’’t worry, Jim, you’ll keep your commanding officers.”

Jim dragged a hand down his face. He suddenly had a whole new appreciation for how Khan must have felt.

“I feel I should remind you both of what you gain from all this,” Cartwright said gently as he looked between the disconcerted leaders. “Captain, you’’ll have a clean record and a promotion. We don’t _want_ to lose one of the best captain’s that Starfleet has ever seen, but we can only find so many loopholes for you before the consequences of your incredibly long history of rule breaking catches up to you. I, for one, know that the Federation needs James Kirk on active duty.”

“Khan,” he turned his attention to the ex-despot now, “you’ll have _no_ record and will be set free outside of Federation Space. You both have everything to gain from this for the small price of one year in service. That’s a feeble punishment and a grand reward for all the trouble you’ve _both_ caused the Federation over the years. And while I don’t think it could ever make up for the damage that was caused, it will at least be a means of preventing more.”

“And the rest of my people?” Khan asked carefully. “Those that are left behind. What will you do with them?”

“We’ll accommodate for them on Regula I until another, more suitable location is found. Chief Prescott has already offered his cooperation in the matter.”

“Regula I…” That made Jim even less comfortable. “For how long?”

“Hard to say. There aren’t too many places big enough to drop off a hundred colonists,” Cartwright shrugged. “Couple of months, maybe.”

Carol was going to hate this. She wanted to keep the augments away and here they were just going to be dumped into her backyard.

“I will not have my people moved around like cattle,” Khan said sharply. “They have already been displaced enough.””

“I understand that, Khan,” Cartwright sighed. “And I sympathize, but we don’t have much choice. Regula I isn’t some resort for homeless colonists—especially centuries-old war criminals—to stay indefinitely. It’’s a science station and unfortunately the closest place we have for them right now where too many questions won’t be asked. We intend to begin your mission at the first possible opportunity and can’t wait until we find a home for them.”

Jim could see a muscle jump in Khan’s jaw and his hand close into a fist as it rested atop the table.

“Scout’s honor,” Cartwright finally lazily lifted a hand. “You will be apprised of where your people are at every given moment. I’ll see to it personally. You’ll both be able to contact me directly, since you will be reporting to me directly.”

Jim looked to Khan, who met his eye. Neither spoke a word, but he could tell by the augment’s eyes that he was decided.

Kirk looked to Cartwright and drew in a breath. “Alright. I accept.”

Cartwright didn’t so much as blink, only nodded his acknowledgment of the answer. His eyes then turned to Khan patiently, but expectantly.

The fist that Khan’s hand had closed into was white at the knuckles, his back straight as a ruler and his body still as marble. He stared back at Cartwright with the expression of a cold statue that Jim had come to know quite well.

“I accept.” He said without the intake or release of any air.

Cartwright finally let his grateful smile show. “Good… Would you be so kind, captain, as to call in Mr. Spock?”

 

* * *

 

 

“So, because Captain Kirk has agreed to the same terms as Khan, you are now a part of this arrangement, Mr. Spock,” Rear-Admiral Cartwright concluded his explanation in good time.

Spock was seated beside Kirk after he had been called in, and it took twenty minutes for the situation to be laid out satisfactorily for the Vulcan. No one was asking for his opinion or for him to make a choice. It had already been done.

“I must admit,” Cartwright continued, “it will be a benefit to us all to have a mind like Science Officer Spock’s involved with the inevitable secrets of this mission. The _Enterprise_ _’s_ covert missions in the past had been handled very nicely by both captain and first officer.”

Cartwright was playing the sycophant.

“Thank you, admiral,” Spock said robotically to play into the game of manners.

All the while, Khan had sat across the table from him. He was silent, tense. It was obvious, even to untrained eyes, that Khan was not pleased with his agreement to this cause. The Vulcan could empathize.

“Comments, Mr. Spock?” Cartwright was prodding now, trying to get the Vulcan to say more than a few polite words.

 _It was disturbingly logical._ That was the one opinion that was turning round and round in Spock’s head. This entire arrangement was carefully orchestrated in the benefit of Section 31, leaving little room for the other parties involved to escape.

Yes, Spock had comments. But he was not inclined to share them, because to do so would have been superfluous.

“None, sir.”

Cartwright rolled forward in his chair, having been in it for the better part of two hours now, and he pushed himself to his feet with a tired grunt. “If there is nothing else to discuss then, gentlemen, this meeting is concluded.”

Jim rose and Spock did the same, but Khan remained in his chair, hardly moving more than his eyes to watch the other men in the room. It was the silent watching that Spock found so unsettling.

“Captain Kirk, all you need to worry about right now is fixing your ship. I’ll get in touch with you and Khan with further instruction. If your Chief Engineer, Mr. Scott, is half as good as they say he is, we can launch this mission in a week.””

“We’ll be waiting to hear from you, sir.” Jim spoke respectfully enough, but Spock was aware that he didn’t manage to fake a smile.

Cartwright made his exit, looking weary and bored. As soon as he was gone and the other three men were left alone in the briefing room, Jim was slumping forward, his knuckles on the table as he let his head hang from his shoulders.

Without a word, Khan finally stood.

“If you’ll excuse me, I wish to see my wife.” Khan wasn’t asking permission and he turned to walk away.

“Khan, a moment please,” Spock said abruptly. Both the augment and the captain looked to Spock curiously, and Spock turned to Jim to elaborate. “Commander Garrovick and Lieutenant Uhura have made progress in the investigation of the incident between Marla and Kati.”

Khan’s eyes were alight with interest and he returned to the table, looking to the Vulcan attentively. Jim was equally interested and straightened up from his slump.

“And?” Kirk prodded.

                “There is sufficient reason to believe that Kati had lured Marla onto that observation deck with the intention to kill her. Had it not been for the sudden Klingon attack, in all probability, she would have succeeded.”

“Oh great, attempted murder…” Jim winced and squeezed at the back of his own neck. “Didn’t think I’d say it, but it sounds like Marla was lucky then…”

“There is more,” said Spock.

“Of course there is,” Jim mumbled.

“Upon further investigation of security feeds, it was found that the augments Otto and Rodriguez had visited Kati’s private quarters only an hour prior to the incident. There is a strong indication of conspiracy, which raises the ethical question of who shall be granted guardianship of the infant, Nanette.”

He knew that a conspiracy could not have been news to Khan, but the ex-tyrant seemed elated by the news nonetheless. He did not need to point out, either, that the most important issue here was the child.

“Right,” Kirk spoke more firmly. “I’ll arrange a hearing then. This needs to be settled before anyone makes any more claims and before Khan’s people are divided up for this new mission.”

“A hearing is pointless, captain,” said Khan. “It is my right to choose the guardian of that child, as she is one of my subjects.””

Jim shrugged. “She was born on this ship, Khan, that makes her a Federation citizen by default. And seeing as she is still on my ship, I’d like to make sure she’s in the right hands.”

Spock anticipated an argument. He fully expected Khan to fight for ownership of the newborn’s life. But quite unexpectedly, Khan nodded.

“Quite so…” He conceded. “May I leave, captain?”

Now he was asking permission.

“Of course… Give Marla my regards.” Jim smiled this time.

“Of course.” With that, Khan made a straight line out the door and was gone.

It was now the two of them and Jim let out a belting yawn. “Well, Spock, it looks like we have nothing to do now but sit on our hands and wait.”

“I fail to see how sitting on our hands is at all useful or appropriate.” Spock knew it was an Earth figure of speech, but he had decided to joke in one of the only ways he knew how.

Jim chuckled. “I guess it’s neither… I could use a distraction, though. How about a game of chess?”

 It felt like ages since they had gone head to head at a game of 3D chess and the invitation made Spock’s heart flutter in his side. Jim had spent so much of his time with Khan of late the Vulcan wondered if his friend had finally gotten fed up with the pointed ears and logic.

“Referring to it as ‘a game’ suggests that there is some possibility of each player winning.”

Jim’s brows rose at the taunt. “You’re right, Spock… I shouldn’t have been so careless with my word choice…” He slapped a hand onto Spock’s shoulder. “Mr. Spock, would you like to play a game of get-your-logical-ass-handed-to-you?”

The captain was in rare form today, considering the heavy circumstances around him.

“After you, captain,” Spock could feel the twitch at the edge of his mouth where a smile fought to surface, but he forced it down. Jim never needed to see it to know it was there.

 

 


	26. Chapter 26

 

Marla woke up to the sight of Dr. McCoy hovering over her, his chin lifted from his slumped shoulders as he looked to the vital readings on the screen above her head, a PADD in his hand and a concentrative frown on his resting grumpy face. He noticed her as soon as her eyes opened, his frown smoothing as he gave her his full attention.

“Welcome back,” he offered a slight smile.

She hummed and turned her head away from him to where she hoped to see Khan. The chair sat empty beside her. It only seemed like seconds passed since she last closed her eyes while looking at her husband.

“Where’s Khan?” her voice was soft from disuse, the heaviness of sleep lifting like a veil being pulled from her face.

“Off on business with the captain,” the doctor answered. He entered a few more things into his PADD before finally lowering it completely. “How’re you feeling?”

Her eyes looked straight up at the ceiling of the med bay as she considered his question. “I feel… Wonderful.” She was amazed. “What did you give me?”

“There are no drugs currently in your system, if that’s what yer asking,” McCoy smirked. “That, m’dear, is probably the effects of serum made from super blood. You were in bad shape, the internal bleeding wouldn’t stop and your body was under a lot of stress from physical trauma, so I made a serum from Khan’s blood for you to speed up the regeneration. Your body took to it well, and judging by your vitals, you’re more than healed, you’re healthier than the fittest crewman on this ship.”

She blinked at him in a daze.

“Now then…” he continued. “When you say you feel ‘wonderful’, what does that entail? Feelings of euphoria? Excessive energy? Sudden violent urges?”

“Violent urges? What do you mean? Why…?”

He waved a hand to soothe her sudden worry. “Never mind, it was bad joke. I do need to know how you’re feelin’, though…”

“Um… I don’t know… It’s so strange. I’ve only been awake for minutes and my thoughts are so clear. ‘Euphoric’, no… Not really. I just feel no pain. I’m not drowsy anymore. I feel like if I really wanted to I could jump out of bed without even getting lightheaded or tired. It’s just the feeling of being well-rested and healthy, I suppose. I don’t feel like I’m suddenly equipped to fight crime in a costume, though.”

McCoy snorted in amusement and nodded. “You’re right about one thing, your body is at peak health right now so long as that serum in is your system.”

“Will there be any side effects?” She tried to be realistic.

McCoy shrugged. “None have ever been observed. Of the cases we know where people have been cured by your husband’s blood—Lucille Harewood and Captain James Kirk—neither have shown any negative reactions. The immediate effectiveness varied, of course, in either case. For the girl it was instantaneous since Khan’s blood destroyed the disease that was killing her and regenerated the damaged cells. For the Captain, it was much more drawn out and strenuous with the multiple transfusions I had to put him through. And the fact that he was irradiated through ‘n through and, you know, was dead. I don’t know if your husband’s aware of just how much blood I had to pull from him while he was asleep to help Kirk. Not so sure he would have cooperated if he did.”

“I may have surprised you, doctor.”

Marla could see the doctor nearly jump out of his skin at the sonorous voice that suddenly entered the room. In her own surprise, she sat upright in the bed, a smile blossoming on her face at the sight of her husband in the doorway of her small room.

“What, like you just did?!” McCoy growled angrily, pressing a hand to his heart. “Jesus Christ, what’s with you people...”

Khan paid little attention to the doctor, though, as he stole to Marla’s side, his hand enveloping hers as soon as it was in reach.

“How are you?” he asked quietly, his voice a gentle thrum.

“I’ll come back later…” she heard Dr. McCoy murmur as he made his brisk exit.

She couldn’t take her eyes off of Khan, just seeing him was making her feel that euphoria and energy that McCoy asked her about.

“I’m okay,” she said with a fixed smile. “I’m more than okay.”

Gentle adoration tempered his face. The scar on his cheekbone from the Klingon attack had healed, but not without leaving a scar that she suspected would be permanent. His fingers lightly touched upon her cheeks and he leaned forward, bringing his mouth to hers. He was tender in his kiss, a light brush of lips, but Marla did not feel as breakable as he seemed to think she was. She was invigorated and she grabbed the back of his neck to pull him in for a deeper kiss. He inhaled sharply at the firm action, but did not deny her the consuming kiss.

Only when she was suddenly conscious of how unappealingly dry her mouth was did she break the kiss and pull her lips inward with a smile. She kept her hand at his neck, raking her nails into his dark scalp. Her touch made his eyes grow heavy.

“How I feared the worst…” he whispered.

She didn’t want him to be worried, but the fact that he was filled her with warmth. “You would be fine without me, we both know that.”

His eyes opened to meet hers, a calm mixture of blues and greens looking back at her. “You can’t possibly believe that.”

“Wouldn’t you, though?” she tried to hold her smile to keep the conversation light.

He stared at her for a beat, his eyes betraying a look that she didn’t often see: Perplexity.

“Marla…” he breathed her name. “When your life was in the balance and I stood to possibly lose you, I felt for the first time in my in my life the chill of death. Not yours, but mine. Without you, I am already dead.”

Such devotion should have elated her. It didn’t. It scared her. “Please… Don’t rely on me, Khan. I’m not as strong as you, and you were strong long before I even existed.”

He smiled sadly. “You never approve when I act like the man who existed before you.”

She had to chuckle. “That goes both ways… You don’t much approve of who I was before I met you.”

“We are both better for being together,” he hooked a finger under her chin, the touch enough to urge her forward for another brief kiss.

"What did I miss?” she finally asked with a sigh, a little reluctant to immerse herself back into reality. “All I’ve heard is that we were attacked by Klingons and that the baby is okay. I can also tell we’re docked but…” she chuckled nervously. “I don’t know where or why.”

“Regula I,” Khan replied distractedly, his eyes closed as she caressed him. “The Klingon attack left the _Enterprise_ in ruins and we were forced to come here for repairs.” He opened his eyes again. “We’ve been discovered by Section 31.”

Her good spirits were crushed in an instant and her hand slipped away from its affectionate touch.

“For as long as we had been on Ceti Alpha V, they knew we were there and had been watching us.”

“What’s going to happen to us?” she asked fearfully.

“Rear-Admiral Lance Cartwright has approached both me and Captain Kirk with an ultimatum—not his word for it, naturally—and we have both accepted.”

 _Ultimatum_.

Panic was threatening to rise within her and she stared at him. Her mind was reeling back to Admiral Marcus and the so-called bargains that he made with Khan all those years ago on Starbase 12. “What ultimatum? Khan, what is he asking for?”

“Essentially what Admiral Marcus had wanted: The service of genetically superior beings in a fight against the Klingon Empire,” he said bitterly. “But Cartwright is nothing if not tactful. Where Marcus would charge into a room with his largest phasers firing, Cartwright would convince you to invite him in and destroy it from the inside without you ever seeing it coming. He wishes to prevent a war with the Klingons by employing the _Enterprise_ and her captain, as well as myself and a handful of carefully chosen soldiers.” His eyes dipped. “No, not soldiers. Spies.”

She stared at him.

When he saw the look on her face, he canted his head and gently brushed the somewhat tangled strands from her face. “In return for our service, he has promised us our freedom. I am not counting for a moment that he will grant it. Trust has never boded well for me and my people in the past.”

“Then what are you planning?” she asked slowly.

“Marla—” he began defensively.

“I know you, Khan. You have a plan. What are you going to do?” She felt a new fear rising, a fear for everyone else.

Khan met her eye and not a word was spoken for a long second. “What we were created to do. Save them from themselves by bringing order to their self-created chaos.”

“The Federation isn’t in chaos, though,” she argued as he leaned back against the pillows. “It’s probably more orderly than it’s ever been.”

A single brow rose with skepticism on his face. “The past five years they have been expanding their territory without the slightest comprehension of all the doors they have opened to _new worlds and new civilizations_. It is cause for concern for the likes of the Romulan and Klingon Empires that the Federation is saturating the galaxy with its colors and tipping the balance of power. The chaos is there, Marla, even if it has yet to erupt to the surface. It will, and soon. Cartwright knows this, which is why he’s made the desperate move to recruit us.”

Marla was shaking her head, even though Khan’s words made sense. “But why do we have to get involved? Can’t we just find a safe place of our own? To be left alone and together?”

“The only guarantee that we could ever have those things is if we _take_ them,” he said without hesitation. “When I have regained my position as a prince of nations—of worlds—then I can I give you all of that freely.”

 “Please, don’t talk that way…”

The meekness of her voice didn’t seem to penetrate the steady look of resolve that shone green in his eyes. “You fell in love with Khan long before we ever met. I can be nothing less, my love.”

“You can be _more—_ ” she grabbed his hand, but the door to her room opened and Dr. McCoy came shuffling in.

“Sorry for the interruption, but I need to take a few tests now that you’re awake, and the sooner the better…” he looked to Khan. “If you don’t’ mind…”

“Not at all, doctor…” Khan said quietly as he rose to his feet.

“Khan!” Marla tightened her grip on his hand, holding him in place by her will if not her physical strength.

“We’ve said all that needs to be said,” Khan spoke with infuriating sweetness as he placed a kiss on her forehead and strode out of the room with the last word.

 

* * *

 

Nyota hadn’t seen Spock since she and Garrovick reported on the security feed of Observation Deck 13, and now she was in their shared private quarters, preparing for the hearing regarding Kati’s baby. Spock, as the First Officer, was required to be there right beside the captain. But Uhura was only a witness and had to wait until she was called in, if they needed to call her in at all. Commander Garrovick, as the Chief of Security, was already there to present the evidence on both their behalf.

They donned their formal dress uniforms, the collars stiff and close around the neck, their different ranks shown in their pins and the stripes of their long sleeves. She was in the process of putting in her last earring, watching Spock through the small circular mirror that hung over the vanity that she used. He was quiet, which wasn’t too uncommon. She had gotten used to the Vulcan tendency to avoid idle chit chat or superfluous expressions of affection (he showed it in other ways, after all).

But he was unusually quiet, especially for how little she had seen of him since he returned from his mission to Ceti Alpha VI. Obviously he was preoccupied with the Khan situation and everything surrounding it, but so was she. She was equally concerned and scared and Spock had not been there to comfort her even just with his presence.

“Has the captain spoken to you about this hearing at all?” she attempted to open up a conversation, her eyes still looking at him through the glass.

Spock, who was zipping his jacket to his throat, did not stop in adjusting his uniform to Starfleet standard as he replied flatly. “I presume you refer to his personal opinion on the case or what he intends to rule in the conclusion of it.”

Obviously. She contained a sigh.

“No,” he gave his straightforward answer.

“You didn’t even discuss it with him?” She finally turned her back to the mirror to look at Spock directly and not his reflection. “I’m worried, Spock.”

He seemed content that his uniform was up to code and he faced her more fully as well, his face as calm and unrevealing as ever. Did he think she was being illogical for worrying? Was he worried too? Or was he really just indifferent?

"Aren’t you worried?” She asked.

“I am interested only in an objective presentation of evidence and reasoning within this hearing for the sake of a just ruling.”

“It’ll be Kirk’s decision, though,” she felt the need to remind him. “Do you still trust his judgment?”

Spock didn’t react or even look away from her. The silence and the stillness of his body screamed loud and clear that he was suppressing something.

“Spock…” she finally moved towards him and laid a hand on his chest. “Talk to me, please. I know you’re worried about Jim, you always are. Especially right now. Do you think he’ll make the right decision for Kati’s baby?”

“To answer that…” he said robotically, but quietly. “I would first have to discern what constitutes the ‘right’ decision in these circumstances… Not every ethical dilemma is so easy to solve, Nyota.”

“You can at least figure out what seems _wrong_ , though,” she argued. “Wouldn’t it be wrong if Kirk gave Khan guardianship?” She could feel the tension under her hand as it rested on him. “You were thinking the same thing I was. That Jim will choose Khan as the guardian.”

“It is only one possibility,” Spock had the distinct sound of denial in his tone. “The alternative would be to allow Kati’s co-conspirator’s guardianship. Does that seem more ethical to you? Or perhaps removing the infant from the augment community completely and putting her in the care of Starfleet, thereby interfering with the government of a displaced colony? There are many eligible augments within Khan’s crew who could easily be chosen. However, there is clearly a growing coup within Khan’s people, and if they are all on a chosen ‘side’ than whoever the captain chooses will incur the wrath of the opposing side. Just the same, he cannot keep the child in a neutral status, cared for in the Sick Bay without any parental attachment. He must make a choice knowing the fact that any choice he makes will have a consequence.”

Spock had been thinking about this more than she thought and he raised a lot of good points that had not even occurred to her. It terrified her, and that was not what she wanted from her boyfriend. He was right, though. Of course he was right, he was a Vulcan science officer. He was programmed to lay out the facts and harsh truths, not to ease the fears of a distressed human.

So she nodded to let him know she understood, but the weight in her chest as she lowered her gaze away from him, forced the next words out of her. “I don’t suppose you could lie to me and tell me that everything is going to be okay?”

There was nothing more embarrassing than saying such a thing to a Vulcan, but she was reaching the limit of her patience. She could feel him looking at her even if she didn’t meet his eye and she drew in a heavy breath.

“Forget it. I’m sorry. We have to go.” She turned abruptly and headed for the door.

“Nyota—”

She stopped and hesitantly turned back to him. He was calmly approaching, but his eyes showed some intensity as he looked at her.

“You are emotional, and I am sure it is not without just cause…”

He acknowledged her feelings—finally—and it almost made her smile. Until he continued.

“However, I must insist that our discussion of it is postponed until after the hearing. Our interpersonal conflict has been known to surface during situations that must take precedence and I would prefer that it does interfere with our duties.”

He was putting her off. She pursed her lips in an attempt to keep her anger from flaring out at him. She forced a terse nod.

“You’re perfectly right, commander. I’ll meet you at the hearing room.”

He opened his mouth to reply, but she was already turning and going briskly out the door.

 

 


	27. Chapter 27

 

“It’s a lot of little things, Gelya…”

Marla spoke softly as she hunched over the crumpled material in her lap, working the needle though it in a precise and careful stitch. No, it wasn’t necessary to mend clothes that way now that they were on a Starship, but mending had become a calming task for her in the nerve-wracking years on Ceti Alpha V, and when she saw a hole in the collar of Joachim’s shirt, she was insistent on fixing it.

“But ever since he… Ever since Hans was killed, Khan doesn’t tell me things. He didn’t tell me about this hearing about baby Nanette until he was heading for it. I would have liked to have been there.”

“You didn’t exactly handle the Hans thing well,” Gelya reminded rather bluntly. “You may be his wife, but you will still have to do what the rest of us have always done. Trust him.”

“I do… I just don’t like that he doesn’t trust _me_.”

The two women were in Khan and Marla’s private quarters where they watched Gelya’s two sons and Joachim while his father also attended the hearing with Khan. Marla appreciated the privacy and calm with the children and one of her only friends, but there was something twitching her nerves. The children sat in a row on the floor, Joachim in the middle where he commanded control of a PADD. Their eyes were all glued to it as they looked through an open archive of strange and fascinating animal species found throughout the known territory. They were too engrossed in studying the creatures and pointing out their favorites, even debating which would win in a fight, to even pay attention to the conversation between the women.

While Marla focused closely on her stitching, Gelya was reclined comfortably in a chair, her feet propped up on the neatly made bed and her eyes closed. She had mentioned how much she enjoyed the quiet of outer space, where there weren’t the constant screams and noises of a wilderness around them. The other woman lightly rested her arm over her ribs. They had been broken in multiple places in the Klingon attack on Ceti Alpha V, and though they were greatly healed thanks to Dr. McCoy and her own superior regeneration, Marla could tell it still ached her.

Marla had been talking to her for nearly two hours now, looking for some comfort, or at the very least, an ear that she could depend on. Gelya said little, which Marla didn’t mind. Especially when the woman took a deep breath and opened her eyes to look at the red head.

“We’ve gotten to know each other very well over the years,” Gelya began after a pause, “and it is no secret that I despised you in the beginning, but I now consider you a friend. I never would have had Joaquin not vouched for you on so many occasions.”

Marla almost wanted to laugh, but Gelya was unusually grave. “I consider you a friend, too, Gelya…” she felt compelled to reciprocate.

Gelya smiled a little. “I’m glad. It might make it easier for you to hear this…” she lowered her feet from the bed to plant them on the floor and face Marla straight on. “When Khan killed Hans, he did the right thing. It was… brutal, I’ll grant you that. It was hard to watch and I still think about it constantly. But he had to do it, I hope you understand that. He’s a leader of us all, he must do certain things to maintain unity and order. What he had to do was by no means easy for him, I’m sure, but Hans was going to act against him and he had to burn it at the source. That one instance would have saved us from further disputing. He’s taken similar actions in the past during the wars on Earth. Everything he had to do that fateful day was irrevocably undone by your reaction to it.”

Marla’s hands froze in their mending and her mouth fell open. “Me? How?”

“Because you humiliated him. Unintentionally, I know…” Gelya reached out to touch her arm comfortingly. “But Marla, you punished him for doing what he had to do and it made him penitent towards you. We all watched it unfold, you know how easy it is for us all to know each other’s business.”

“I wasn’t punishing him—” Marla protested, her throat feeling tight.

“Not deliberately. But it made him look weak and only fueled the dissenters even further. I love you Marla, I’m not ashamed to say it. But you’ve made his people lose respect in him.”

“But, I didn’t…” Marla couldn’t speak through the hurt. She couldn’t believe that she was the reason for any of the divide among Khan’s crew. “Gelya, you can’t blame me for an issue that you yourself say has always been there.”

“I also said it was always solved before you were around. I’m sorry, honey, but I need to be honest with you. I hear what they talk about when Khan isn’t around, I see how they look at him and you. I’m telling you this because you were wondering why Khan has been keeping things from you. He knows what sacrifices he has to make in order for us to survive, and he can’t make those difficult choices if he thinks the one person he loves above all else will hate him for it.”

“I don’t hate him…”

“Obviously, but you didn’t exactly cope well after what he did to Hans.”

“How was I supposed to react?” Marla snapped back, feeling the anger rise as she remembered the horrific scene.

But Gelya didn’t take it personal. “Stoic and supportive, like the wife of a Caesar or Josephine to Napoleon.”

Gelya knew what she was doing by referencing history. From what Marla knew of her past with Khan, he had used Gelya during times of war for interrogations on more than one occasion. Joaquin was famously brawn, Gelya famously mind, even though both had a healthy dose of both qualities. And she was purposely poking at Marla’s raw nerves, even if it was for the redhead’s own good.

“Have I made things even worse?” Marla asked as strongly as she could, swallowing down the urge to cry, even though she couldn’t hide the welling in her eyes. “With what happened to Kati?”

“I wish I could say it didn’t make the tension worse,” Gelya said apologetically. “But those of us who do care about you know it wasn’t your fault.”

“I doubt this hearing for Kati’s daughter is going to make things any better…”

“The damage is done,” Gelya settled back down in her chair, folding her arms comfortably over her large chest. “The dissenters are more determined than ever and Khan will find a way to deal with them. How and when will have to be on his terms.”

A chill ran through Marla. “No…” she whispered. “Gelya, I can’t… I don’t want him to…”

She couldn’t quite find the words.

“If you care at all about your husband and his position, then you will. You married a warlord, Marla, and he has subjects who aren’t just _threatening_ to rebel, they _will_. He just needs to be the one to act first.”

There was a small part of Marla that was glad to have Gelya tell her these things, bluntly and directly, because Khan wouldn’t.

Suddenly, the door opened and in strode Khan, Joaquin close behind. Both women were instantly on their feet, Marla tossing her needlework aside.

“Well?” Marla breathed. “How did it go? What did the captain decide?”

Khan approached her, a smile touching at his lips. “Rodriguez and Otto, though they made a compelling argument, were denied guardianship.”

He paused, both women and all three of the children staring at him, waiting for more. He never took his eyes from Marla.

“The decision was placed in my hands. I appointed you, my wife, as the child’s guardian.”

“Me?”

It took a moment for the news to sink in, but when it finally registered, she felt like she was going to explode from the sudden joy. She smiled brightly, and knowing Joaquin and Gelya were still present, hugged herself tightly lest she smothered her warlord husband in front of them.

“That’s wonderful!” Gelya hopped on her feet, gathering her two sons close to her excitedly. “Oh, thank God, I feared for the girl…”

“For such a small prize, it’s a great victory,” even Joaquin was smiling.

“It is,” Khan finally tore his gaze from Marla to look to his right hand man. “The others are surely awaiting the news. I don’t anticipate all the responses to be as enthusiastic, but spread the word nonetheless. Be certain to tell them that Rodriguez and Otto were _denied for their treachery_ as well as Kati’s. Her death doesn’t dilute her guilt.”

“Yes, Lord Khan… Come, Joachim.”

The boy finally stood from his seat on the floor, taking the PADD with him as he stole to his father’s side. “Does that make Lady Marla the baby’s mother?”

“It does,” Khan answered, his eyes returning to his wife warmly. “I could think of no one better.”

Marla’s heart felt like it was going to burst.

“Come,” Joachim prompted his son again and they exited the room.

Gelya led her two boys to the door as well, smiling along the way. “I will see you later, Marla…” A respectful nod was given to her leader. “Lord Khan.”

“Thank you, Gelya…” he said quietly, all the while never breaking eye contact with Marla. “Good bye.”

Gelya left with her sons and Marla was alone with Khan at last. As soon as the door was closed, she let her happiness erupt and she threw her arms around his neck.

“Thank you! Oh, thank you!” She kissed at the scar on his cheekbone, squeezing so tightly it might have strangled an average man.

His arms enclosed around her narrow waist as he seemed to accept the gracious rain of kisses. A low chuckle reverberated through him.

Marla realized how childishly cheerful she was acting, and with some forced control, loosened her grip enough to look at him face to face.

“I was so worried about the baby… I was afraid what would happen if Kirk thought Otto and Rodriguez should have her… All I want is what’s best for her, I’ll do everything I can to see to it, I promise.”

Khan was still smiling and he kissed her rambling lips. “I know you will, my love…”

“And I want to keep her name,” Marla said more seriously. “Regardless of what Kati did, it was her baby. I still want to call her Nanette.”

There was an almost imperceptible twitch in Khan’s eye, but he nodded subtly. “As you wish. It shall be the last gesture of respect towards a capable, but fatally misguided woman.”

Marla was still reeling from the news and could not for the life of her look away from Khan’s colorful eyes. “I think Nanette will be okay now,” Marla said wistfully. “With us.”

“There’s no safer place in the world for her,” Khan agreed softly.

Marla could hold back no longer. She tightened her arms around his neck again to pull him in, to bring their lips together for a deeper, hungrier kiss. All of the fear and discontent that had been stirred up in her conversation with Gelya was forgotten, all she could see and feel right now was her husband. And ever since she had awoken in Sick Bay, she had never felt so constantly alive.

She pulled at him, hard, towards the bed. With both palms on his chest, she pushed him until he was flat on the mattress and she straddled him. An approving growl rolling out of him like distant thunder and it only quickened her pulse even more.

His hands slid up along the skin of her back, pushing her shirt up to her shoulders. The heat from his hands spread into her body. In one movement, she snaked out of her shirt and threw it aside, his hands never stopping in their trek across the canvas of her skin. She wouldn’t pause for an instant though, she was hungry—no, _starving_.

Her hands clawed downward to his pants where she sat on him. The next thing she knew, she had been rolled onto her back and Khan was over her, peeling off his own clothes, throwing them off like the nuisances they were. Her own pants were slid from her legs and thrown into the void.

Strong hands gathered her up, stroking every curve of her body and pulling her legs around him. Fire burned through her with each way that he manipulated her body to align with his own, her nails digging into his back as she demanded everything without saying anything. Her hands followed the scars of his body, the dimensions of bone and muscle that were formed by perfect genetics.

As usual, he was taking control. But she felt invigorated. With her whole body, she rolled with him, putting him onto his back again. It was compliance on his part, not her overpowering him, that allowed her to straddle him once more. She wanted control and he let her have it.

 

 

 


	28. Chapter 28

 

“Never thought I’d be standin’ ‘ere lookin’ at new torpedoes for a military operation ever again… Designed by Khan again, no less.”

 Scotty grumbled his disapproval as he stood to Jim’s right, Spock to Jim’s left as all three men watched from the ship’s weapons bay as the new weapons were being loaded onto the ship. Just as Cartwright predicted, it was six days after their meeting that the ship was practically ready to go.

While being repaired, the _Enterprise_ was also receiving a few upgrades. The torpedoes in question were a last minute addition after Cartwright had heard about Khan’s modified torpedoes specialized in taking out cloaked Klingon vessels. Clearly something that would come in handy while they dipped their toes in Klingon space.

The past six days had been welcomingly quiet. After the hearing regarding Kati’s baby, there seemed to be a calm among the augments, which was contrary to expectation, but not enough to allay suspicions. The rest of the ship was so busy with repairs that there was little interaction between Kirk’s crew and Khan’s crew.

It wasn’t surprising that the Chief Engineer was unhappy with the déjà vu, and Kirk reinforced the blast from the past by handing a PADD towards the Scot.

“Can I count on you to sign off on them?”

Scotty puffed, the corners of his mouth down turning. “Y’do realize I was right the last time?”

“The specs aren’t classified this time, you know exactly what’s in the torpedoes,” Jim’s said tersely, the ego in him holding back any admission that Scotty was right.

“That’s not the point, though, is it?” Scotty still hadn’t taken the PADD. “Those are here with all intents an’ purposes of blowin’ Klingons outta space because we’re goin’ to a place where we’ll have to shoot at ‘em!”

Kirk didn’t lower the PADD, keeping it well in front of the engineer. “Is this the prelude of you quitting again, Scotty. Because I really need your signature so we can continue our checks on the ship.”

He didn’t think it was possible, but Scotty puffed even more. The PADD was snatched, the stylus brought to it. “Alright, alright…” he grumbled something incoherent that Jim was sure was an insult, but he let it slide. Scotty handed the PADD back. “I’ve come too far to quit again, and I know whatever mess ye end up in, ye’ll need me to get ye out’ve it.”

Jim smiled. “Damn right I do, Scotty. Thanks.”

“I’ll let y’know when all the weapons have been loaded, cap’n…” Scotty sighed his professionalism.

“Jim!”

A voice called out that sounded an awful lot like Carol. Jim turned, and sure enough, the blonde was moving rapidly towards him, her face soured in pure anger. She was still in a lab coat, her hair pulled back, but the loose strands flying with each hastened step.

“Carol? What—”

“How could you?!” her voice echoed out into the weapons bay, turning the heads of a few crewmembers. Even Spock’s eyebrows jumped in reaction.

“Maybe not here?” Jim kindly suggested, having a good idea what she was so pissed off about.

“You’re leaving them here? You’re leaving them on Regula I? Have you lost your mind?!”

Scotty took this as his cue to wander away and do his job, while Spock moved closer to Jim, his hands calmly clasped at his back.

“It is a pleasure to see you again, Dr. Marcus.”

Carol’s blue eyes flashed an icy fire at the Vulcan. “You’re the logical one, Mr. Spock, surely you’ve mentioned how idiotic all of this is? Have either of you any clue what a monumentally _stupid_ mistake you are making?!”

“Carol, Jesus!”

Jim finally took her by the arm and began to lead her towards the nearest maintenance room where they could get behind closed doors for some privacy. There were no crewmembers inside just now and he guided her inside first before he followed. Spock was close behind.

“Ah, Spock…” he stopped the Vulcan with his fingertips on his chest. “You mind?”

Spock looked from Jim to Carol, then back to Jim. “Of course. I will continue the checks and meet with you later, captain.”

“Yeah,” Jim forced a tight-lipped smile. Only when Spock was walking away did Jim finally let the door close, leaving him alone in the small compartment with Carol. “Did you really have to yell at me in front of my crew?”

“I’m not on your manifest anymore, I can scream at you where I like.”

“Okay, clearly you’ve heard about what’s happening with the augments…”

She propped her fists on her hips. “There was an announcement in the station telling us that the so-called colonists would be staying on Regula I ‘until further notice’. You’re leaving war criminals in a place with highly classified and dangerous work!”

“It’s not my decision, Carol! If it makes you feel any better, Khan won’t be there. He’s coming with me.”

Her mouth fell open. “How could that possibly make me feel better?! Why is he going with you— _where_ is he going with you?”

“That’s classified…”

“Jim, you don’t know what my work involves, you can’t possibly understand why I am so afraid. My work could change the _universe_ for better or worse. To say nothing of the fact that those people will be living in the same station as our son!”

“He’ll be safe—”

“No, you can’t possibly promise that,” she said coldly. “Not when you’re so out of reach.”

“My hands are tied, Carol…” he matched her coldness, afraid to let go of his resolve in his current mission. “This is the only way I can see ending this chapter of Khan in our lives. It’s the only way that I can see all of us actually moving on and living, including him. There’s nothing that can be done now, no matter how much you yell and point your finger at me!”

Her chest was rising and falling heavily with anger and he was sure if her eyes were properly equipped they would have disintegrated him where he stood.

“I’ll escort you off the ship,” he said politely, but firmly.

“I’ll escort myself.”

She practically spat and shouldered roughly past him out through the door. She stomped away as quickly as she came and Jim emerged from the maintenance room rubbing tiredly at his temple. He then caught the eye of a few curious redshirts who could not help but see a little of the confrontation. Great.

 

* * *

Captain Kirk allowed Khan the use of one of the larger conference rooms to address his own crew of augments. He had been allotted the past few days to select the 15 men and women who were suitable for the top secret mission, and after some deliberation, he settled on who he found most fit for the task at hand. Of the 15 augments, it included Gelya and Rodriguez, which Marla found surprising. She thought for certain he would want Joaquin with him.

However, as he explained the changing circumstances to his people, he made it clear that he needed Joaquin to watch the rest of them in his absence, and that while he was gone, Joaquin was their leader. No one seemed to dispute this, a few even seem relieved. Rodriguez and Otto, however, could not hide their displeasure are being separated. For years they had been glued to each other’s sides, which Marla suspected was all the more reason Khan intended to sever them. Divide and conquer, no doubt. It did break her heart a little to think that they had to be apart. Co-conspirators or not, they cared deeply for each other.

Khan clearly laid out who was called into honorary Starfleet service and who was to remain on Regula I. All except for Marla. She sat quietly beside Khan, Nanette cooing quietly in her arms. Gelya’s advice on being a supportive wife echoed in her mind and was the only reason she didn’t question her husband while he had a conference with his people. She waited patiently until the meeting was adjourned and all the augments exited the conference room.

Khan motioned her to follow and she did, though she avoided abrupt movements lest she disturbed the baby.

“What about me?” she finally asked as she walked with him down the corridor. “I’m coming with you, right?”

Khan looked at her with some surprise and glanced to the infant. “Surely it goes without saying.”

Her heart sank a little with understanding. “You want me to stay…”

“It’s best.”

“I’m going to pretend that it has nothing to do with me being an average human…”

He gently stopped her with a hand on her shoulder. “Aside from Section 31’s predisposed suspicions of you as a traitor, you need to stay here for Nanette. She needs you more than I.”

Her eyes drifted to the small sleeping face that was wrapped cozily. She had fallen in love with this child so quickly that she couldn’t argue with him on that point. Going on the mission just seemed ridiculous now as she considered having to leave Nanette behind.

“I suppose you’re right,” she said with a small smile. But her expression dropped as her stomach suddenly turned.

“Is something else the matter?” he seemed to anticipate another complaint.

But it was in her guts this time. In all this time since she woke from her coma she felt wonderful and near invincible—until now. She felt sick.

“I think I need to lie down for a bit…” she tried to laugh it off, but Khan was slipping an arm behind her back to support her.

“You’re face looks like death,” he commented worriedly. “I’m taking you to the med bay. Do not argue.”

She was sure she needed to sleep it off, but she didn’t dare contradict him. He even went as far as to free her of the tiny burden in her arms. Nanette was cradled safely against him on one arm, her head in the crook of his elbow, her tiny body barely matching the length of his forearm. His other hand was dedicated to supporting Marla. With the nausea she was suddenly overcome with, though, she was secretly relieved for the attention. She was only half aware of a blonde trudging towards them.

“Carol!” she breathed.

Carol did not look pleased to see either of them. She looked from Khan to Marla, her gaze settling on the infant.

“It’s been so long,” Marla smiled, momentarily forgetting her fatigue. “How are you?”

“Excuse me,” Carol said quietly and began to walk around them in a wide circle so that she could continue on her way down the hall.

“Carol, wait…” Marla slipped from Khan’s supportive hand to follow the other woman. “It’s been long enough, I’d really like to start fresh…”

“Leave her be, my love…” Khan said quietly beside her. “I understand that the science station has just been made aware of its new guests, any mother would be equally concerned.”

Carol shot a look of warning at Khan that Marla found purely insulting. But she did as Khan suggested and didn’t stop the blonde when she stomped away without another word. It was hard to imagine that they had ever been friends at one point, long ago.

“A mother?” She finally registered his words. “Carol?”

Khan smiled and urged his wife to continue in their journey to Sick Bay. “Haven’t you heard? Carol Marcus bore the son of none other than James T. Kirk.”

Marla’s mouth formed an O. “No…” she breathed. “Really?”

“Hardly a family without conflict, unfortunately.” Khan seemed to be enjoying this gossip more than she was. “Kirk only just met his son a week ago and the boy is about four years old, I believe.”

Marla had been happy to hear that they had a child together, after all the attraction she had seen between the two in the past. But the sad truth of it dashed all the joy. Or perhaps it was the following lurch of her stomach. She touched her mouth and focused all of her energy on not losing her dinner.

“I think we should walk faster…”

* * *

 

“You said you felt nauseated, dizzy, and fatigued?” Dr. McCoy asked distractedly, naturally bulging blue eyes following the tricorder as it moved slowly over her from head to navel. He noticed how pale she looked the moment she walked into his office.

“I still do,” Marla replied quietly.

He could tell from her shifting eyes and fidgeting that she was embarrassed. Khan was standing close by, his arms securely holding the sleeping baby, Nanette. The baby had fussed a bit when they first arrived, but a little formula to feed and soothe her, and a good old fashion burping, she was quiet as a mouse again, aside from an occasional squeak. The feeding and calming was done with near expertise by Khan himself.

Really, McCoy was rather surprised at how confident and capable Khan was caring such a fragile human being, and it would have been a lie to say the doctor wasn’t a little paranoid to see the infant held by the same hands that were notorious for crushing a grown man’s skull. He also tried not to think about the fact that it was Jim’s idea to give Khan responsibility of the baby. But that was beside the point. He had a patient right now.

“Well…” McCoy’s Southern drawl rolled out of him thoughtfully and he turned off the tricorder as the results scrolled on the small hand held screen. “There are two most likely explanations for what you’re feeling…You could have returning symptoms of that head injury or you’re pregnant.”

Marla stared at him like a deer in headlights. It was like she was a computer and he had just asked her to find the last digits of pi. He let the moment linger for awhile—for purely dramatic reasons, of course—before he finally smiled.

“It’s not the head injury.”

Now Khan was gaping at him too, neither of them saying anything. Was he suddenly speaking another language? Did he just grow pointy ears? His smile dropped and he frowned to let them know just how serious he was.

“Marla, you’re pregnant.”

“No,” Marla whispered. “It’s impossible. I can’t—I never could. It’s not possible. You’re wrong.”

“I’ll be the first to admit that I’m human and make human mistakes, but when it comes to finding out whether or not a human or a tribble or a Gorn is pregnant I am never wrong. Though I’d have to do more tests to prove it, it only seems to make sense that the serum in your system allowed you to conceive by making you two more compatible.”

McCoy glanced to Khan, who was surprisingly silent. He hadn’t moved; he didn’t even seem to have blinked. Khan Noonien Singh was stunned and McCoy smirked at him.

“Congratulations, Khan. You’re gonna have two babies to take care of now.”

There was a sentence he never thought he would say.

Marla slowly turned her head from where she lay on the bio bed to stare at her husband and Khan stared back.

“Khan?” she said meekly.

“Doctor…” Khan’s voice wasn’t much louder than hers. “Would you please take Nanette for a moment?”

McCoy’s brow furrowed with confusion, but he obliged without a word and gently took the sleeping baby. As soon as he was freed of the child, Khan’s arms were around his wife, pulling her up off the bed and against him. Marla was half-laughing, half-crying into his neck and McCoy was sure he heard a similar sound from Khan.

The doctor was smiling now. He didn’t care who it was, this kind of pure joy was always a pleasure to see and he felt quite a surge of pride of having something to do with it (even if they did do most of the work, so to speak).

“I’ll, uh, be back in five minutes. This little one’s a bit ripe.”

That was a white lie, Nanette wasn’t yet in need of a change, but this was Khan and Marla’s moment and he wanted to let them savor it.

 

* * *

 

“He thinks we’ll be less of a threat to him if we’re apart. Well, let the bastard think what he wants.”

Rodriguez was pacing around the small space of their shared private quarters, his comments of forced nonchalance completely contrasting the fury in his every mannerism or the occasional Spanish curse that would roll of his tongue in a whisper.

“What if he means to kill you?” Otto asked from where he sat on the edge of the bed, one knee up as he began to untie the laces of his boot. “If the missions that Rear-Admiral Cartwright are as dangerous as they sound, Khan could easily stage your death. It wouldn’t be the first time he’s done it.”

The worry in Otto’s voice made Rodriguez slow in his pacing. “It’s safe to assume that he’s reserved that contingency, either way. I’ll avoid giving him reason to kill me while still diverting him from what you will be able to do here.”

Otto chuckled. “Khan always did assume I was helpless without you.”

“Maybe he’s a little right,” Rodriguez smirked.

Otto playfully flung one shoe at the other man, who caught it with a laugh. Tossing the shoe away, Rodriguez sighed and seated himself beside Otto on the bed.

“I think this separation of the crew may actually be the opportunity we were looking for,” he said thoughtfully. “Regula I is well equipped, should we need weapons or transportation. Khan will be lightyears away, leaving only Joaquin for us to deal with. And Joaquin has more sense than he lets on, I know he does. There is a chance that we may be able to persuade him to let us escape peacefully.”

Otto frowned skeptically. “I can’t imagine Joaquin being disloyal if his life depended on it. We also have to consider Marla.”

Rodriguez snorted. “She’s as threatening as a bunny. It will be no trouble retrieving Nanette from her when we make our escape…”

Otto fell quiet as he stared at the other.

“What?

“I’m not a fool, Juan. I know what will probably happen. If I succeed in leading everyone in an escape from Khan, even get Nanette where she belongs, Khan will kill you. Whether or not he is planning it now, as soon as he learns we’ve separated from the others, he’ll know you were part of it.”

Rodriguez nodded once. “There is always a threat of dying by Khan’s hand. That’s far from new. I will just have to find a way to kill him first. We must do anything we can to free ourselves from his tyranny—and we will.”

Otto wasn’t comforted, but he understood. “Don’t worry. No matter what unfolds, I’ll do what I have to.”

“I never doubted it,” Rodriguez smiled and kissed the other. “Time to sleep. Tomorrow we’ll make our plans. We’ll be ready for everything.”

 

 


	29. Chapter 29

 

“It’s not being yelled at that bothers me—I’m used to that—it’s the fact that her first instinct is to blame me, as if all the bad things that happen to her are always directly my fault.”

Spock listened patiently as Jim spewed his disgruntled reaction to Carol’s chastisement of him. They were at the officer’s table in the mess hall enjoying one of the few moments they had together to share a meal. Jim had a replicated ham on rye sandwich while Spock opted for his usual Plomeek soup. The captain paused in his complaints long enough to angrily pick up half of his sandwich and take a spiteful bite. While his mouth was full, Spock saw it as an opportunity to contribute to the conversation.

“If I may point out, captain, our current situation is in fact a direct result of a linear chain of events that were initiated by your decision to remove Khan and his people from Ceti Alpha V. Or, perhaps, to take it further, your decision to leave them on the planet in the first place rather than seeking another way to bring them to justice.”

“Spock, you were there. We didn’t _have_ a choice.”

“Technically you had a choice, it was simply not an easy one.”

Jim sighed loudly and took another bite. “Point is,” he muffled with a mouth full of food, “she never gives me the benefit of the doubt.”

The door suddenly opened and Khan stepped inside. Spock immediately put down his spoon, ready to rise to his feet at a moment’s notice because Khan looked flushed, his movements slightly erratic as if holding back. Perhaps he was no longer as compliant as Spock was sure he had been pretending to be with Cartwright’s decision to separate his people.

Jim, who had one cheek bulged with sandwich, stopped and stared at their guest. “Khawn.”

“Captain,” Khan said strangely, his voice seeming strained, his eyes alight. It didn’t seem to be anger.

Jim attempted to speak again, but his articulation was obstructed by the food in his mouth. So, Spock took it upon himself to translate.

“I believe the captain wishes to inquire whether or not we can help you?”

Jim pointed to the Vulcan as confirmation.

Khan shook his head. “There’s nothing that I need… I did not intend to disrupt your meal, but I could not wait. I intended to see the captain alone, of course…”

His gaze flickered to Spock and the Vulcan felt compelled to lift his chin with nuanced defiance.

Jim was washing down his bite of food with a sip of coffee, swiping his hands on his pants to get the crumbs off, even though there was a napkin right in front of him. “Spock’s not going anywhere,” he said directly, leaving no room for argument. “What’s wrong? Did something happen?” He was standing, ready for any emergency that he seemed sure Khan was bringing.

Khan finally tore his eyes from Spock, a small tug at the corner of his mouth appearing with a surprisingly lack of menace or condescension. “There is no urgency beyond my own happiness, captain.”

“Hap—your what?” Jim’s face scrunched with bewilderment.

Even Spock, who reluctantly rose to his full stature, was caught off guard by a positive utterance from ex-tyrant.

Khan was smiling now, the lines forming on his face entirely new to Spock. “I’m going to be a father.”

“No,” Jim blurted. “Get outta here. No.”

“I’ve come straight from the med bay,” Khan was beaming now, his head held high with pride. He looked ready to burst. “I have no reason to doubt Dr. McCoy.”

That seemed to be all the proof Jim needed. He laughed and reached out an open hand. “Congratulations! Holy shit. I never thought I would say this, congratulations, Khan!”

“Congratulations,” Spock added with decidedly less enthusiasm and more out of formality.

Khan firmly took Jim’s hand, but instead of shaking it, he pulled the captain against him in a close one-arm embrace. Jim grunted with surprise, seeming to freeze as Khan gave him a mighty (but not lethal) squeeze. Though it was brief, the sheer unexpectedness made it last an eternity and it crossed the Vulcan’s mind the pry them apart and ensure Jim’s physical and emotional security.

But Khan released him as easily as he had pulled him in, still holding Jim’s hand as the other closed over it.

“I must thank you, Kirk,” he said softly. “With all my heart, such as there is, you have given me more than I had ever asked and could have ever hoped for from lesser men.”

Jim’s mouth hung open as he gaped. “Uh… You’re welcome. But Khan, you’re going to be a father. I swear to God I had nothing to do with that.” He laughed nervously.

Then Khan laughed to. “You’re fortunate I know that’s true.”

“Really, though, you shouldn’t be thanking me for anything. We’re still in one hell of a mess. Don’t you think that’s my fault, too?”

Khan’s head canted curiously. “Your fault? Everyone is acting as can be expected with a war on the horizon. Cartwright does as he must and so do we. Unlike him, however, you are not afraid to steer your own course if necessary. You came back for me and my people. It wasn’t done under duress or to save your own life. You could have let us perish at no risk to yourself.”

“Well, you said it yourself, I have a thing called a conscience…” Jim chuckled weakly.

“Conscience is a rare thing among men of war. Were it not for you, we would still be on that doomed planet. I never would have been given this opportunity to have a family of my own with the woman I love. I am indebted to you, captain, regardless of what may happen from here on.”

Spock’s gaze dipped to see that their hands were still clasped, all the while both men seeming to completely forget that the first officer was even present. It made something burn within the Vulcan that he could not identify.

“Again…” Khan said after a brief pause. “Thank you, Jim.”

He had never heard Khan refer to the captain by his first name and Jim seemed to catch the unusual sound of it immediately. “You’re welcome… Khan…” he still sounded baffled, but the softness in his tone told Spock that he had not gone untouched by this passionate display from the augment.

Finally, Khan looked to Spock again and languidly released the captain’s hand. “I should thank you as well, Mr. Spock, for your efforts in assisting us.”

“I follow my captain, not a desire to help you.” Spock felt no remorse in the Vulcan coldness he expressed.

But Khan could not be shaken from his joy and he smirked. “Notwithstanding. You have helped us.” He stepped back, regaining some distance from Kirk. “I must share the news with my crew. Goodnight.”

“Goodnight, Khan,” Jim said politely.

Spock said nothing.

Khan exited as quickly as he came, and when the door whooshed closed behind him, Jim flopped back down in his chair laughing breathlessly.

“I did not see that one coming…”

Spock too was planting himself back into his chair and in front of his cold soup. “Was it the pregnancy that you did not expect or the exuberance of Khan?”

“Both, I guess. For a second there, I was sure he was going to crush me like a grape,” Jim chuckled.

“It is indeed unexpected that Marla was able to conceive. I wish them both well.” Spock meant it too, in his own way.

Jim had picked up his sandwich again, but before taking another bite, paused to squint skeptically at the Vulcan. “If that’s how you feel you could have said as much to Khan while he was here.”

Spock could not control the single eyebrow that arched as he looked to his soup again, his insides bristling. “I refrained under the conclusion that any further congratulations on my part would have been interpreted as disingenuous and false to Khan. Also, he did not come here to share his happiness with _me_.”

“I know you two don’t like each other, but we have a long mission ahead of us. At least try not to antagonize him…” Jim murmured just before returning to his food.

“Speaking of the mission,” Spock deliberately changed the subject. The less they talked about Khan to better. “We will be launching in nine days. Perhaps it would not be wise to part with Carol Marcus on the same angry terms that divided you both all those years ago.”

Jim glared at him, his brow furrowed as his jaw flapped in brooding chewing. Obviously, he was not agreeing to Spock’s suggestion.

“You had only just repaired things with her. For the sake of your own emotional health, I am compelled to advise that you at least speak to her before we launch.”

“My own… emotional health…” Jim repeated flatly, almost mockingly. “Because we humans are so emotionally unstable? Can’t handle a little disagreement?”

Spock met his steady gaze, waited a calculated moment. “Yes.”

“If anyone’s emotionally unstable here, it’s her. You know that right?” Jim seemed convinced. “She always has to be right, she’s on this high-horse of privilege where she’s just so used to getting her way and having people do as she says. It’s no wonder, since she grew up with her dad admiral—” Jim stopped himself from going further. In his anger, he was liable to say something cruel that he didn’t even mean.

Spock remained stoic on the outside, but he felt a whirlwind of guilt and pain for his friend. He never did seem to find peace when it came to Carol Marcus and Spock couldn’t bear to let his friend leave her in anger. Not again. It nearly destroyed the captain all those years ago.

“She’s…” Jim was forcing himself to keep talking, even though he couldn’t even look at his friend now. “She’s better than that, I know she is… She’s had privilege, but she never exploited it. And I can tell she’s raising David well. God Spock, he’s amazing,” the captain chuckled. “You’re meeting him before we launch and you’re not getting out of it.” He finally looked to his first officer again, pointing a commanding finger at him.

 “It would be my pleasure to meet your son,” Spock said sincerely, holding in a smile.

Ever since Jim became a father, it changed something in him. Not enough for anyone besides perhaps Spock and McCoy to notice, but the boisterous captain lost a little of his reckless edge. He seemed to have found at least a little worth and maturity for having a child. Parenthood was a powerful thing.

Perhaps it would change Khan for the better.

Jim had finished his sandwich and was getting to his feet with a stretch. “Well, it’s time for me to actually sleep. We have a busy week ahead of us and coffee only gets you so far.”

Spock, who had also finished his dinner, followed Jim out of the galley and into the corridor. The Vulcan was still on duty and would be heading directly for the bridge. Jim ambled beside him, carrying himself in his usual strut, though Spock could tell his mind was racing. Khan’s announcement inevitably provoked new thoughts in them both. When they came to the captain’s personal quarters, Jim dropped a heavy hand on the Vulcan’s shoulder.

“Goodnight, Spock…”

“Goodnight, captain.”

Jim disappeared into his room and Spock continued on his way for the bridge. He hadn’t gotten very far when laughter caught in his pointed ears. It was loud and just around the curved bend of the hallway in which he was headed. Frowning with curiosity, he quickened his pace to investigate.

Hanging out of a turbolift door was Nyota, her hand over her mouth as she laughed and looked to the floor where Mr. Scott was face down, rear up, also laughing. Even in that first glance, Spock deduced that they both were, in fact, completely drunk. They were both off duty, but such conduct on a starship was not acceptable.

“Commander Scott. Lieutenant Uhura.” Spock said crisply, raising his voice to be heard over their immature giggling.

Scotty snorted with surprise and wobbled until he somehow rolled his way onto his feet. Nyota, meanwhile, slipped out of the turbo lift and leaned her shoulders on the wall beside it, her body bowed backward as she smiled to Spock. Both of their faces were wet with tears and red with laughter and alcohol.

Spock could not help a glance down each end of the corridor to be sure there were no other crewmen to see this embarrassing display. Over the past week, nearly 80% of the crew had been transferred off the ship, the replacement crew en route from the next starbase. So long as they were docked at Regula I, there were only about 100 crew members at any given moment, leaving the starship especially bare.

“Ahoy, Mr. Spock,” Scotty gave an unidentifiable salute, his body teetering until he practically slammed into the wall next to Uhura.

They both laughed again and Nyota buried he face into Scotty’s off duty jacket. There was that burning sensation in his chest again, the same one that Spock had been feeling often lately.

“Engineer Scott, I suggest you retreat to your quarters immediately to remain until you are sober,” said Spock tersely.

“Oh, aye, sir…” Scotty put on a frown as if to mirror the Vulcan’s seriousness. “I ‘ave a very import’nt meetin’ with a bottle o’ scotch whiskey in m’ room. I’d invite ye along, Nyota, but I’m ‘fraid it’s exclusive…”

“I’m no third wheel, Scotty…” she giggled and began to push him away. “Go on…”

Scotty cleared his throat and tugged at his jacket, in some failed attempt at dignity. But the way he averted his eyes from Spock, it was clear that he felt awkward. He began a zig-zagging march down the hall, and as he passed by Spock, he gave him a solemn nod, his cheeks puffing out with a contained belch. Spock knew the Scotsman would find his way to his room (eventually) and approached Uhura, who seemed merged into the wall by gravity.

“I know what you’re thinking, Spock…” she eyed him beneath heavy lids. “And I can assure you, my being drunk is extremely logical.”

“Intoxication is not a matter of logic,” Spock commented quietly.

She could scarce be expected to walk, let alone in a straight line, so the Vulcan took it upon himself to see her safely to her room. Slipping one arm beneath her knees and another at her back, he effortlessly hoisted her up and began to carry her. Her thin arms draped around his neck, her brow against the crook of his neck.

Yes, he could feel jealousy stinging his insides to know that she was spending her time with Scotty again, even though he had encouraged her to do so in the past for some familiar human interaction. But she had been spending more and more time with the engineer of late, and Spock had been seeing less and less of her. Even when they were in the same room she might as well have been on the other side of the galaxy. And now, as he carried her in his arms, she was quiet and so far away.

There was only one logical conclusion, he knew, for why they were drifting apart. But the clear logic, no matter how heavily he relied upon it, still hurt. They ‘why’ in their distance from each other was him.

He reached their shared quarters and laid her gently on the bed. She watched him tiredly as he took it upon himself to remove her boots and set them neatly together on the floor beside the bed.

“Spock…” she whispered, grabbing his wrist before he could move away. “Are we still postponing?”

She hadn’t forgotten that they were going to talk. About what he was not entirely certain, but it was to do with this growing estrangement. It scared him.

“To have a discussion of any sort in your intoxicated state would no doubt be futile and counterproductive while any judgments are impaired.”

That was obviously not what she wanted to hear. Her lips pursed and she sighed heavily, a hand tiredly passing over her brow. “God, Spock…” her voice trembled.

“Nyota…” he spoke softly and gently took her hand from her face, both to see her better and to give it a comforting squeeze as the closest thing to emotional expression he was able to give. “It has never been my intention to hurt you. We will talk when _both_ our minds are clear.”

She sniffed, her eyes already wet, though she was quiet and looking to the ceiling now. “Okay…” she barely spoke above a whisper.

Things felt fractured. He knew she felt it as much as he did. The talk that they had been postponing was not a hopeful one. His long fingers caressed the edge of her hand, expressing love in touch instead of words before he rose from the bed.

“Can you please, just…” she spoke abruptly, drawing his attention again as she slowly sat up on one elbow. “Can you please just lie to me and tell me everything is going to be okay…?” she weakly asked the same question she had asked him before.

Humans thrived on white lies and false hopes. Brutal confrontations with reality tended to do more harm than good, Spock knew this. He was halfway to the door and lingering with conflict.

“Everything is going to be okay.” He lied.

 

 


	30. Chapter 30

_Beeep beeep._

Jim was ready to roll over, go back to sleep and hope that he dreamed the sound.

_Beeep beeep._

With a loud groan, he rolled over and hit the comm. “What…?” he rasped groggily.

“ _Spock here._ ”

“Hey, Spock.

“ _There is an urgent call from Rear-Admiral Cartwright. Shall I patch it through?_ ”

Urgent call? They’re docked, what could be so urgent?

Jim was sitting up, swiping the sleep from his eyes and grunting incoherently as he tried to shake himself into wakefulness. “Yeah. Yeah, patch him through.”

“ _Jim,_ _”_ Cartwright’s deep voice came through. Though friendly (perhaps too friendly with the first-name basis) he was rather grave. “ _Sorry to wake you up, but there_ _’s been a Klingon attack in Federation space. They destroyed a defenseless cargo ship and all fifty crew members on board her. The_ Enterprise _is the nearest starship in this sector of space._ ”

“You took my crew, sir, how am I supposed to run a ship with less than a skeleton crew?”

“ _You_ _’ll get as much of your old crew back as you need to fly her to pick up the rest of your new crew. The_ USS Aspire _has just launched from its starbase with your new crew and you_ _’ll rendezvous with her at 1600. Both ships are launched way ahead of schedule in light of this Klingon attack, but since the_ Enterprise’s _repairs are complete, I know you_ _’re up for it. Once you have your new crew, you make a beeline for that Klingon ship. Hunt it down, take it out before it takes anymore innocent lives. The Klingons are getting bolder lately after their latest intrusion at Ceti Alpha. Since they’ve attacked a civilian ship this time, it may finally mean war.”_

Which, Jim suspected, was all the more reason for their top secret mission to the Neutral Zone. He didn’t like it one bit.

“ _You_ _’ll launch as soon as possible, captain._ ”

“Yes, sir.”

Cartwright disconnected and Jim’s body was moving on autopilot to get him in a clean uniform and combed hair and straight to the bridge. They were days ahead of schedule, but things were finally in motion for better or worse.

 

* * *

 

The bosun whistled rang through her room and Marla, out of long forgotten conditioning, was awake and attentive for the voice that she knew would follow.

“ _Attention all crew and passengers, this is the captain. Klingons have entered Federation Space and attacked an unarmed cargo ship, killing its entire crew. It has fallen on the_ Enterprise _to seek them out. This means we launch in three hours. I know this is far ahead of schedule, but that_ _’s the nature of Starfleet. All colonists are required to pack their belongings and follow ship’s security for an orderly transfer onto Regula I. Ship’s crew is scant, so I want all hands to stations. Kirk out._ ”

Marla was practically flying out of bed, adrenaline shooting through her. Khan wasn’t there, but she was sure he heard the announcement as well and would come to her. So, she went straight to gathering what few belongings they had, their small wardrobe and the treasured  collection of antique books that went with them everywhere. They fit into two duffle-sized bags, which she set by the door and went to collect the baby, who was sleeping soundly through it all. The baby’s things alone took up an entire duffle bag of its own.

With Nanette cradled in her arms, she managed to get the bag of her own affects onto one shoulder, the baby’s bag on the other. The second bag, the one with their books, was left where it was. Perhaps Khan wanted to keep them for his voyage. As she stepped out the door, she was met with a flow of people rushing in all directions. The augments were busy carrying their things, trying to find each other and reluctantly cooperate with the red shirts of the ship who were trying to corral them efficiently through the corridors.

Cutting through the crowd like a barge in water was Joaquin, his son’s small hand in his as he, too, finally appeared. Joachim carried a small sack over his shoulder, but his father carried a massive bundle on his back like an ox.

“Lady Marla,” Joaquin greeted her. “I’ll see you safely to Regula I. Lord Khan is required to gather his team and report to the captain, but he says he will see you before the launch.”

She felt a sinking in her stomach, fear and disappointment that Khan had to send Joaquin to tell her so. Without needing to be asked, Joaquin took one bag from her shoulder, then the other, his body unaffected by the additional weight as he left her with only the baby to carry. Of course, she had to remember that she wasn’t carrying just one baby, but two.

“He told us the great news,” Joaquin suddenly said over the noise as he walked close beside her. “I have already told him so, but I would like to congratulate you, Marla.”

He dropped the title and looked at her in an almost affectionate way. Joaquin may have actually been happy for her.

“Thank you, Joaquin,” she let herself smile, but the rushing had her a little breathless.

There was a small fearful part of her that thought Khan would be leaving her without saying goodbye. It had happened before under worse circumstances, but it had left such a scar that the paranoia never left. There were other reasons for her to be worried.

“Joaquin, wait…” She stopped and moved towards the wall, beckoning him to follow.

Impatiently, he obeyed, hunkering in discreetly by her lead, his hand never releasing his son’s.

“I need you to answer me truthfully,” she spoke only loud enough for him to hear. “Is Khan planning to do something on this mission with Kirk?”

An almost pained look came over the large man’s face and he tried to pull away, but she squeezed a feeble hand around his trunk of an arm and stopped him.

“Joaquin, please! I’m scared.”

“Khan always watches for any opportunity, we both know that,” Joaquin said vaguely. “I don’t know of any plans.”

That was probably true. If Khan was formulating anything, it wouldn’t have been out of character for him to keep it to himself. Though Joaquin tried to dodge the question, he wasn’t as tactful as Khan tended to be and inadvertently answered it anyway. It meant that Khan was willing and would overpower Kirk the instant it was made possible. While she held some doubt that Khan could be moved to actually kill the captain at this point, it still scared her how at how easily Khan would hurt the man who helped him.

               

* * *

“We have had to re-assign thirteen crew members to ensure that we have the necessary personnel to launch,” Spock reportedly rapidly as he marched quickly alongside the captain. “The last of the colonists have been transferred off the ship and Khan’s team is currently acquiring their uniforms. You will be notified the moment they are assembled.”

“Good…” Jim said distractedly as he walked, looking at a PADD as it scrolled with information, reports flooding in a white noise over the intercom.

“I have sent Mr. Chekov to engineering in place of Mr. Scott,” Spock added.

“Sure… What?” Jim finally looked up from his PADD. “What happened to Scotty?” Did he quit again?

“Mr. Scott was enjoying his off duty hours with a large quantity of alcohol and is currently unable to function.”

Jim sighed. “Well, it’s not his fault we’re launching so unexpectedly…” his attention wandered back to the PADD.

The communicator suddenly beeped at his belt. He handed off the PADD to Spock, who took it easily without question and continued to read the reports. The communicator was flipped open.

“Kirk here.”

“ _Jim. It_ _’s Carol._ ”

Jim’s swift pace slowed a bit, his one-track mind jostled. “Carol. What’s up?” He tried to be casual, but he couldn’t help the look of unease as he exchanged glances with Spock.

“ _I_ _’m on my way to you right now with David. I hope that’s all right._ ”

“We’re scrambling to launch right now…”

“ _I know, that_ _’s why I’m coming. I don’t want you to leave before I have a chance to speak to you. I won’t take up all your time. It’s important to me._ ”

At that moment, Jim and Spock stepped onto the turbolift and it began to move. “It’s important to me, too…” he admitted a little quieter. “I’ll be on the bridge, you can meet me there.”

“ _See you soon._ ”

He snapped the communicator shut and looked to Spock, his cheeks puffing as he exhaled.

“Did not expect that one after the way she yelled at me—”

The communicator chirped again. With a confused frown, he flipped it open again. “Uh, Kirk here.”

“ _Captain, it_ _’s Marla._ ”

Spock’s brows rose with interest as he and Kirk looked to one another.

“Marla? Aren’t you supposed to be getting off the ship?”

“ _I am off the ship. But I_ _’m coming back so that I can talk to you. Alone, I hope._ ”

Jim and Spock didn’t take their eyes off each other as they practically communicated telepathically. This was unusual and highly suspicious.

“I’m a bit busy...”

“ _Please._ ”

He didn’t like the tone in her voice, and he somehow suspected that Khan had no idea about this.

“Alright….” He conceded with a sigh. “It will have to be quick.”

“ _Thank you, captain_ _… I’m on my way._ ”


	31. Chapter 31

The _Enterprise_ was a mad house of hustle and bustle. Even though its crew had been slashed to less than half, all of them were frantically trying to get to their posts or to get the last of the augment colonists off the ship. Carol wove through the rushing crowd, leading David by the hand, his little legs practically running to keep up with her long strides. David was excited to see his father again and was sure to bring something for him, which he hugged closely with one arm. His excitement was quite crushed when they were met with the throng on the ship.

“Mom, I’m tired…” his small voice made its first complaint.

She stopped in her rush long enough to scoop him up. He was getting so big that carrying him was becoming more and more of a chore, but she wasn’t going to say so when she was the one responsible for dragging him into the chaos of a starship that was ready to launch.

“We’re almost there, sweety…” she smiled to him and continued on her way, dodging and practically dancing her way through the red, gold, and blue shirts, as well as the occasional colonist.

Every time she spotted someone out of uniform, her heart threatened to stop for fear that it might have been Khan. She could only hope that the _Enterprise_ crew was keeping close tabs on every single augment, lest one of them fall off the radar.

She finally reached a turbolift in which a couple of the ship’s crew also boarded. She took in a deep breath to catch her bearings as the lift carried them directly up to the bridge.

“Carol!”

Turning her head, there was a gold tunic she hadn’t seen in a while and she smiled brightly.

“Hikaru!” she couldn’t help reaching a hand for him, the other still supporting David on her hip. Sulu had been promoted since she last saw him and looking fit as ever.

“How’ve you been?” he took her hand in a friendly grip and looked curiously to David who peered back. “Who’s this?”

“This is my son, David. David, this is Commander Hikaru Sulu. He flies the ship.”

“Hi,” the boy peeped.

“Hey,” Sulu was smiling. “Looks like his dad all right.”

“I wish we had more time to catch up,” she said with genuine disappointment. “You’re all here and gone again so quickly…”

“We’ll get coffee when we come back.”

“That’d be lovely,” she pretended to be as confident. She didn’t even get to see the rest of the crew again and there was a chance she never would. Nyota, Pavel, Leonard, Spock, Scotty—so many old friends that were so near and out of reach.

The turbo lift doors opened and the passengers filed off briskly to report to their stations.

“It’s good seeing you, Carol,” Sulu gave her one last warm smile and headed to the helm.

She lingered at the threshold of the lift and peered into the dazzling lights of the bridge, the beeps and chirps of sensors and consoles hitting her with a wall of nostalgia. Sitting in the chair was Jim, his attention towards Science Officer 0718 in quiet discussion.

“Permission to come on the bridge!” she had to shout to be heard.

Jim quickly swiveled in the chair towards her, a grin blossoming on his handsome face. “Granted!” He was on his feet and rushing towards her, a hand settling on her lower back as blues jumped between her and the boy in her arms. “Come on, we’ll talk in the ready room…”

Every time she saw him on the bridge, he was no longer Jim. He was Captain Kirk. Somehow he seemed larger, grander with the position of commanding a starship radiating off of him. He escorted her with quite a gallant air across the bridge towards the door that led to his office, and allowing her to enter first, he followed. The doors shut and the noise of the bridge was muted, leaving them in a soft silence.

“I’m sorry to come during all of this, I know you’re busy,” she began as she set David onto his feet to give her back some relief. “I couldn’t do it, Jim. I couldn’t let you leave angry again. I don’t want to be angry.”

“Me neither,” he said with relief. “I’m glad you came, Carol.”

“I also wanted to apologize for being angry in the first place, since I know it isn’t fair of me. You know how I get when I’m scared.”

“I know,” he said softly as he slowly inched towards her.

“I wanted a proper goodbye this time. For David, too.” She gently nudged the boy forward. “He brought something for you…”

David shuffled forward, his golden-curled head tilting back so that he could peer up at his father. He finally loosened his hold on the thing in his arms and held it towards Jim.

“It’s my sehlat.” It was indeed a fat plush bear with plush fangs in its mouth. “I want you to have it.”

“He’s very insistent,” Carol laughed lightly. “I tried to convince him to keep it, but I don’t think Spock would mind.”

“Spock?” Jim looked quizzically at her.

“Oh,” she suddenly realized he didn’t know. “You mean he didn’t tell you that he sent this to David when he was born?”

“No.” Jim was no less confused. “He didn’t.”

He tentatively took the bear from David, who was still holding it towards him. It only sat 8 inches tall, and Carol always did find It strange that the logical Vulcan would send such a sentimental thing. Especially since sehlats were now practically extinct since the destruction of Vulcan (a few had survived off planet, their population slowly growing again).

“I need to get back on the bridge…” Jim said without much urgency.

“Yes, you do,” she said as sternly as she could. He was the captain of a ship, after all, she didn’t want to distract him.

She also didn’t want to take this moment for granted. Closing the distance between them, she did what she had wanted to do for the past five years, and she kissed him. She intended to keep it chaste, to just feel his soft lips on hers again, but he leaned into it and prolonged it. It was just long enough to weaken her legs.

“Oh no…” David made a show of his disgust and covered his face with his arms.

Carol and Jim laughed together and separated, though she could tell he was brimming beneath the surface just like she was. She missed him and it was tearing her apart that she had to watch him go again.

“I’ll hurry back to you,” he promised.

She laughed. “We will certainly talk when you come back, Jim Kirk.”

The last thing they needed to do was decide on a whim that they were together just before they’re apart. He seemed to understand this as he nodded, but she could see the dimming in his eyes of disappointment. It filled her with guilt, and in spite of herself, she moved in again for one last kiss.

“Captain,” a voice came from the door, instantly pulling them apart. It was Spock. “Marla Singh is here.”

Marla?

“Oh, right,” Jim cleared his throat and stepped back from Carol. “Send her in.”

Spock stepped aside and in came the red head, but she wasn’t alone. She was carrying the same baby that Carol had seen in her arms before. Marla paused, her eyes large with confusion as she looked from Jim to Carol. Spock didn’t enter, however, as he returned to the bridge and closed the door.

“Sorry, am I interrupting…?” said Marla.

“No, no, it’s fine,” Carol spoke for them both. “I was just leaving…”

Carol lightly took David’s hand and walked towards the door.

“Wait!” Marla stepped in her path. “It’s alright, you can stay.”

Carol looked to Jim for his verdict. He nodded, though he looked as curious as he was concerned. The baby began to fuss a bit, squirming and whining quietly. Marla’s arms moved to rock her as she looked to the captain.

“You can’t tell anyone I’m here. In fact, I hope I can get back before anyone really notices. I brought Nanette with me because I don’t dare leave her with anyone, it isn’t safe…”

“Why are you here?” Jim prodded shortly. “Oh shit… Khan doesn’t know, does he?”

“No,” she said simply. “I’m here because of him.” She sighed and looked to the baby, adding at a whisper. “It’s always for him…”

The baby began to calm again, only occasionally making small coos. Marla was looking directly at Jim again.

“I have reason to think Khan is planning something. With this whole mission that Cartwright has given you, Khan is going to take advantage of it somehow. I don’t know what he’s going to do, I just wanted to warn you to be careful. I know he likes you, captain. He’s come to respect you more than I’ve seen him respect anyone else, but if you get in the way of what he wants then I don’t know what he might do to you.”

Carol was stunned. Marla was blatantly going behind her husband’s back. All this time, Carol was sure the woman was foolishly loyal to her evil husband, and even after all these years, she was still willing to try to do the right thing.

“Did he say something to you?” Jim finally spoke.

“He made vague comments, but I know him well enough to tell that they’re part of something very specific. He doesn’t tell me things because he knows I don’t like it.”

“Because you’ll do something like this?” Carol couldn’t help but point out.

Marla finally looked at her, shame coloring her cheeks. “I suppose so… I just don’t want anyone to get hurt. Not when there’s another way. And I’ve tried talking to him, he’s not one to be persuaded.”

Carol was looking at her differently now. Marla no longer seemed like a satellite to Khan, she was still a free-thinking woman. But it was not without some conflict. She could see it in the red head’s eyes that this was difficult for her to do. Carol felt something similar when she sneaked around behind her father’s back, when she knew he had deliberately sent Kirk and the _Enterprise_ to their death.

“I wish I could tell you more, but I don’t know anything else. It’s enough to know that Khan still holds his people above everything else.”

They all knew the lengths that Khan would go for his crew.

“Yeah,” Jim agreed quietly. “But what about you? Aren’t you afraid of what he’ll do if he finds out?”

Marla gave a small smile. “I’m not afraid of him. Not for myself. I’ve also had some experience in calming him down.”

There was a change in Jim in the last few moments. His shoulders had squared, his brow furrowed and his entire countenance altogether darker. Carol couldn’t understand how he could be surprised or upset at this news. This is what Khan had always been.

“Okay, ladies,” he said with a forced smile. “I’m going to have to send you away now. The ship launches soon and you don’t want to be on it.”

“I’m going,” Marla informed. “Again… Please don’t tell Khan I was here. And be careful.”

“Thanks, Marla,” Jim nodded to her. “Good luck with everything. And, congratulations by the way.”

Marla finally smiled. “Thank you, captain.”

Carol didn’t know what the congratulations was for and looked to Jim curiously.

“I’m pregnant,” Marla explained instead, not without a little pride and excitement.

The news hit Carol like a confetti popper. “Really? That’s wonderful!” But the father had to be Khan. That was not so wonderful and she swallowed down the bitterness of that realization to hold her congratulatory smile.

A flood of announcements over the intercom regarding last minute ship-wide checks reminded them of the lack of time. Marla turned for the door without another word.

“Marla, wait, I’ll walk with you back to the station,” Carol said abruptly to stop her from leaving.

Marla smiled and nodded, then waited at the door.

Carol stayed back only long enough to plant another kiss on Jim’s cheek. “Call me when you can, Jim,” she said quietly. “And good luck.”

“Thanks… You too…” he replied softly. There seemed to be something else on the tip of his tongue, but he kept it to himself and dropped down to one knee to be eye level with David, a hand on his tiny shoulder. “I’ll see you again, too, David. You look after your mom for me.”

“I always have,” David said, sounding beyond his years. He then wrapped his small arms around Jim’s neck, squeezing as tightly as his little body could manage. “I love you, Daddy!”

There was shock in Jim’s eyes as he looked up at Carol, his arms closing around his son. Carol was a little shocked herself, she never told David to say that.

“I love you, too…”

David pulled away and took his mother’s hand, signifying that he was ready to go. Jim, however, seemed to show some effort in getting back onto his feet. She was sure she saw a glimmer in the corner of his eye.

“Goodbye, Jim,” she offered him a smile.

“Bye, Carol. I’ll talk to you soon.”

With some reluctance, she led David out the door, Marla walking alongside them with the baby in her arms. She stole one last glance back at the captain, and in the mere second before the door closed between them, she saw him turned away from the door, a hand over his mouth and his shoulders slumped a bit, the stuffed sehlat held at his side. Jim was trying to turn back into Captain Kirk again before returning to the bridge.  


* * *

 

Joaquin escorted Marla himself, to be sure that she was safely at her new quarters on Regula I. The rooms were much larger and farther apart, which meant it would take longer for Joaquin to get from one point to another. His own room, which he would share with his son, was a few doors away from Marla’s. He left her to get settled in and he left Joachim in his room. He had to ensure that everyone was where they were supposed to be while Khan was otherwise occupied. His fearless leader was now required to report to the enemy, to check in with Cartwright and Kirk like a subservient dog. But there was a method to this madness, Joaquin knew, and he had to trust it.

In the midst of checking on his people, he felt compelled to be sure that Marla was still where she needed to be. She was the wife of his prince and Joaquin could not help seeing her as the most precious of the cargo. Should anything happen to her, Joaquin’s head would conceivably be on the block, regardless of all the history between him and Khan.

Her room was empty.

Fear stirred in the giant augment and he asked the nearest person if they had seen where Marla went. Roana, who was busy herding her own three children around, said she hadn’t seen her come or go. Joaquin wanted to ask as many people as he could, but he knew to do so would only raise gossip and questions as to why Marla was AWOL.

She could have been on a harmless errand. Or she could have been meddling in Khan’s business again. The latter seemed likely after her prying questions about Khan’s plans.

He knew he should have reported this to Khan immediately, but he felt he had come to know Marla almost as well as he knew Khan. She was sometimes oblivious to consequences, and Khan was often unforgiving. For both their sakes, Joaquin would say nothing. For now, he was going to watch her carefully.  


* * *

 

Marla and Carol hurried through the halls of the ship, Marla carrying baby Nanette, who vocalized her dislike of the noise in an occasional cry or whine, tiny fingers grabbing at Marla’s hair, Carol leading her son by the hand. They were nearing the gangplank now and Marla looked over her shoulder every other moment to be sure none of Khan’s people were around to see her.

The crowd was beginning to dissipate as the ship’s crew settled into its proper posts, the augment colonists all finally off the ship and on their new home, Regula I. As Marla and Carol briskly turned down the bend of the curved hall, they were met with a wall of uniforms—which was led by Khan.

Marla froze, momentarily stunned at the sight. He was wearing a Starfleet uniform, a red tunic with an Operations insignia and a commander’s stripes on his sleeves. Behind him was his selected team of 15: Gelya was also in red, her skills no doubt fit for security, Rodriguez in blue for the sciences. The others varied in colors and ranks and it seemed so alien to Marla. It looked so… unnatural.

They formed two straight lines behind their leader, but on each side of them were the security officers of the _Enterprise,_ as led by Commander Garrovick. Khan stared back at Marla in the brief moment that they were all halted, perplexity in his eyes.

“Marla,” he said at last. “What are you still doing on the ship?”

She wasn’t supposed to get caught and her mouth opened but nothing immediately came out.

“I wanted to say goodbye to Captain Kirk,” Carol suddenly spoke. “She wanted to tag along while she had the chance.”

Carol was lying for her, and it was the last thing Marla had expected. But she nodded to confirm the story. “I was hoping to find you. Just in case.” It was half a lie, in the sense that she _did_ want to see him before he left. This was simply just not where she wanted it to be.

The bosun whistle pierced the air and Spock’s stoic voice filtered through the speakers.

“ _Attention crew. We are launching within the hour. All stations must be at their posts in the next twenty minutes._ ”

“Alright, let’s keep moving,” Garrovick said sharply. He was acting as though Khan and his team were his prisoners, a fact that made Marla even more concerned about this whole venture. “I want to make sure each and every one of you is where they’re supposed to—”

A communicator went off. It was Khan’s (now that he finally had one of his own), and without taking his steady and indifferently cold gaze from Garrovick, he brought it to his lips.

“What is it?”

“ _What is it,_ captain,” the cocky voice of Jim Kirk corrected. “ _I want you to get your people to their stations, then I want you to come up to the bridge for launch._ ”

Marla watched as Khan’s face softened with surprise. To her knowledge, her husband had never stepped foot on the bridge of the _Enterprise._ She couldn’t help wondering if Kirk’s decision to invite him was influenced by her visit. Maybe he thought he could keep a closer eye on Khan or perhaps he still trusted him after everything she had told him.

Regardless, she didn’t miss the look of pride on Khan’s face, imperceptible to anyone else.

“I will be there.”

“ _Make it fast, we got places to go and people to see. Kirk out._ ”

Khan replaced his communicator on his belt and looked to Marla at last. “This is where we must say goodbye…” he said quietly, in some small effort for privacy within the cluster of people.

Those words sent a panic into her heart. It suddenly became real. “I’m not ready,” she said quietly, putting on a smile in spite of the tremble in her voice. She knew how silly she seemed.

There were too many people around, most of which were Khan’s people, so she knew she couldn’t give him the goodbye that she wanted. She couldn’t hug him closely and kiss him all over his face as though he was a six year old going off to his first day of school. She couldn’t tell him to be good, and that she loved him more than anything. She could only think about what Gelya, who watched from behind Khan, had said to her about being a wife of Caesar.

Then Khan stepped closer, an arm coiling around her shoulders and a hand settling on her hip as he pulled her into a close embrace that was careful not to crush the infant in her arms. For a moment he simply held his cheek to her temple without a word, tipping his head just enough to whisper at her ear.

“I love you, Marla, and I will return.”

Spoken as a promise for only her to hear. Regardless of the unwitting audience, he kissed her lips at length before finally pulling away.

“I’ll be waiting,” she said as strongly as she could, taking a mental picture of his hypnotic eyes as he looked longingly at her.

He was the first to look away, a stern nod given to Garrovick who stood impatiently by. He marched past her at a tall stature, his people following behind him, Garrovick and his own men following alongside like pilot fish to a shark.

Both Marla and Carol stepped aside to watch them pass, little David looking up at the unit of augments with wide-eyed wonder. Even the child recognized the strength in them, and Marla thought with pride that such an awe-inspiring leader was her own husband.

But soon followed the guilt that he was ignorant of her meeting with Kirk. Perhaps she made a mistake.

“Come on,” Carol spoke up gently. “Time to go.”

Marla nodded and walked with the other woman off the ship one last time. After being by his side for the past seven years, she was going to bed alone tonight without knowing when she would see her husband face to face again, let alone through subspace communication.

 

* * *

  
“Star Command has cleared us for launch,” Sulu announced from the helm.

“Engineering reports ready as well,” added Spock from the science station.

Jim stole a glance to the closed doors of the bridge. Khan had declared his people ready at their posts and that he was on his way to the bridge. He would be there any moment. There was a sort of reverence to being present when a ship launched and it felt wrong to give the order without Khan. The man was just as invested in this mission as Kirk was, he was more than one of the cogs running the ship.

Jim also knew he had to reevaluate the augment. He had gotten too familiar with him and Marla’s visit felt like a jolt to his nerves, a wake-up call from his own impressionable judgment. Khan wasn’t a friend. He wasn’t exactly an enemy either.

With Chekov in charge in engineering, Darwin was in his place at navigation, and she was the first to look over her shoulder at the captain, who delayed giving the order. One by one, eyes began to turn his way, including Emery at communications (in place of Uhura), and Dr. McCoy, who was present for no other reason than ‘he could’.

It had become something of a tradition having Bones there for every launch, grumblings and all. In his hunched wandering on the bridge, the Chief Medical Officer paused beside the helm to also eye the captain with a wary lift of his brow. He was perhaps less judgmental than Spock, since his opinion of Khan was surprisingly less hostile. But along with the rest of the bridge crew, Bones noticed the captain’s pause and Jim ignored it masterfully.

“Retract all moorings and take us out, Mr. Sulu,” he said smoothly.

“Aye, sir…” Sulu’s hand moved with precision over the helm, not a hitch to his work. “Moorings retracted, thrusters at half power. Heading laid in.”

As the _Enterprise_ began to push away from Regula I, turning its fore towards the vastness of space, Jim felt the same rush of adrenaline that he did with every launch. For better or worse, it was thrilling.

“Here we go…” McCoy moaned quietly turning away from the viewscreen as if afraid of motion sickness.

The doors hissed open and Jim swiveled in the command chair just enough to see Khan sauntering in with a curious eye cast around the bridge. He paused at the top step that led down to the main floor and all the same eyes that were briefly on their delaying captain were now on him. A chill drifted through the room with the unspoken questions and the tension that riddled the bodies of the people who knew Khan.

“You finally made it,” Jim said casually, to break the ice that had frosted over the bridge.

Khan smirked and ambled closer without invitation, standing beside the command chair. That seemed to be Spock’s cue to slip away from his station. Now that they were cleared for launch, he was no longer confined to it, and the Vulcan placed himself on the opposite side of the captain’s chair, his hands behind his back as he looked over Jim’s head to the augment.

Spock had already voiced his opinion of Jim’s invitation for Khan to be on the bridge, and so they were all spared the dispute here and now. The captain made it clear that Khan was there as an integral officer in this mission and an honorary crew member. By extending mutual respect, he hoped to get them off on the right foot for a year of service together.

“I’m honored to be here, captain,” Khan said rather kindly. He might have been mocking the situation, who knew. It seemed genuine enough to Jim, and he accepted it—but not without adding something.

“This isn’t an open invitation. I want to be clear that after the launch, you’re not to be on the bridge under any circumstances without my explicit permission or without me present.”

“Understood,” Khan said without a beat.

“Good.” Listing to the side, Jim leaned a little more comfortably onto one elbow.

“Ready for warp, sir,” Sulu’s voice was terse now that Khan was present.

“Punch it.”


	32. Chapter 32

  
“Captain’s log, Stardate 2266.5: Two days after launching from Regula I, we’ve just rendezvoused with the _USS Aspire_ and picked up our new crew. The quartermaster has his hands full in getting them settled in, but I’m confident they’ll be well established long before we reach our destination. We are making way to the last known sector in which the Klingon ship was seen just after it attacked the civilian cargo ship, the _Rimbaud_. We will have to be cautious in how we proceed. Even though this attack is an act of war, one Klingon ship may not represent the Klingon Empire as a whole. We have to hold out hope that even a race that thrives on battle would be willing to avoid the horrors of war.”

Jim concluded his captain’s log and a yeoman took the PADD away. Spock felt a twinge of admiration for Jim’s somewhat unfounded hope that Klingons would be anything _but_ warmongering. To expect that would be the same as expecting a Vulcan to eschew logic.

The bridge was calm and much more comfortable with Khan’s absence. It felt familiar when there was the busy quiet among the bridge crew, Jim sitting contemplatively in the chair. Spock had only stolen one glance, seeing a mere gold tunic elbow and the back of Jim’s head around the chair. Still and silent as the captain was, Spock knew him well enough to know his mind was loud with thoughts.

Then, Jim was out of the chair and strolling to Spock’s station where he took a lean on the console. He had perfected this perch over the years to be comfortable without accidentally pressing any buttons.

“How many do you think there are?” Jim almost whispered, squinting thoughtfully across the bridge at the flickering image of warp as it distorted the star field.

Spock followed his gaze to the viewscreen in some attempt to infer the meaning of the highly ambiguous question. Surely the captain wasn’t feeling philosophical about the number of stars in space.

“Captain?”

Jim finally looked at him without relaxing the thoughtful squint. “Cartwright’s spies. How many do you think there are in our new crew?” He kept his voice low.

Spock pulled his hands away from the console. He had reached the same conclusion—that Section 31 would take the extra precautions of planting its own agents within the already customized crew. Spock linked his fingers in his lap, his head canting slightly as he tried to compute the odds with so few exact figures to work with.

“It would only seem logical to place an agent as near as possible to Khan’s crew and to you. We have no new crew members here on the bridge, however, that yeoman who took your captain’s log is new.”

“Sorry I asked…” Jim grunted and scratched idly at his cheek. “I think I’m just feeling paranoid.”

There was something new in Jim’s eye ever since their launch. Spock had not pried about it, assuming it would eventually come to light or Spock would figure it out on his own. As Jim took in a deep breath, it turned out to be the former. He hunched a bit to loom in closer to the Vulcan, even though the pointed ears made such discreet leaning moot.

“Marla came to see me just before we launched…” he whispered.

Spock’s brows escalated with intrigue. “Fascinating.”

“Not the word I would use for it… I dunno, Spock, it’s weird. I can’t figure these two out. She’s crazy about the guy, then she goes behind his back to warn me about him. ”

Spock turned away, to bite down the extremely human urge to say ‘I told you so’.

“I know,” Jim said sharply. “I know, okay? I just wanted to let you know what happened. I want you to know I’m not an idiot, I’m keeping both eyes open.”

“I have never referred to you as such, Captain,” Spock said defensively.

“Your face does,” Jim hit Spock’s shoulder with the back of his hand. “We’re getting into murky waters here. I’m gonna need you more than ever.”

“Of course.”

A smile pulled at the edge of Jim’s mouth, and after a pause, he nodded. “Good…”

He was deeply worried, Spock could tell, but he was putting on his best show to convince everyone of the contrary. Though his captain didn’t give the order, Spock had every intention of monitoring Khan’s every step. If his own wife, who was loyal to a fault, found it necessary to warn the captain, then perhaps there was even more risk in this mission than was originally supposed.

The captain pushed himself from the console and took one step towards the chair before stopping abruptly. “Oh, by the way… You didn’t tell me you sent David a stuffed sehlat when he was born.”

Jim was frowning at him now, not with anger but with confusion. Spock mirrored it, wondering if his friend was making some sort of joke that went over his logical head.

“I have not nor have I ever attempted to send any gifts to you, Carol or David…”

Jim was squinting again, his mouth open in a less than intelligent expression of befuddlement. It didn’t last long, however, when his squint relaxed and he lifted his chin with epiphany.

“Oh…” he chuckled and shook his head. “Okay. Not you. It was probably the other you.”

Spock was still bewildered. He couldn’t imagine himself, even a century older, being sentimental enough to send gifts to an infant incapable of even understanding the gift, let alone the concept of it.

“I was gonna thank you, but…” Jim was still chuckling. “Never mind. Back to work, Commander.”

A hearty slap was given to Spock’s shoulder and Jim walked jauntily back to the command chair.

 

* * *

 

  
“It’s no like it’s somethin’ that needs to be said on a starship, now is it?” Scotty argued a one-sided argument to his silent partner Keenser. “He knows ‘ow rank works.”

His small, crusty-faced friend was straddling a circuit tube—the only one that Scotty let him sit on as a compromise, with literally everywhere else off limits—listening with apparent patience as the Chief Engineer rambled defensively. They were both watching Khan.

The leader of the augments had been ‘assigned’ to engineering based on his own experience and knowledge, and while it was obvious that the man excelled in this area, it was borderline terrifying to Scotty. The Scotsman fiddled anxiously with a pair of goggles that he had been wearing moments ago in his deep inspection of the engine room.

“I mean, I think Khan knows that I’m the Chief ‘ere.”

Keenser rapped his rock-like fingers where they rested on his knees.

“’Course, a little reminder wouldn’t hurt, would it?” Scotty went on. “Exert some intimidation of m’own.” The engineer puffed chest. “Aye! Yer right. I need t’ make it very clear just whose engine room this is!”

Keenser said nothing, but he slid off his perch and landed with a thunk beside Scotty, showing his readiness to back him up. With a confident sniff, Scotty handed the goggles to Keenser and strutted towards the console where Khan sat, straight backed and focused intently on the computer’s multiple screens.

The closer he came, the more Scotty’s chest deflated. Even sitting down, Khan seemed huge. There was just a sort of crushing aura around him, like his own personal gravity well. Scotty’s sure stride slowed a bit, but a sharp shoulder jutted him in the ass and kept him walking. Swallowing hard, Scotty cleared his throat loudly to make his approach known.

Khan didn’t stop working.

Scotty opened his mouth to draw the augment’s attention, but he paused to take a look at what it was Khan was so focused working on. He had in front of him the schematics of all the sources of power for the _Enterprise_ —the warp core, the dilithium crystals, and the auxiliary power. On a PADD, Khan had formulas that he was working through, formulas that Scotty recognized at a glance pertaining to the usage and control of the various energy sources in the ship.

“Yes?” The single syllable rumbled Scotty from his snooping, without Khan even deigning to look away from his work.

“Ah… What’re ye doing?”

“Surely the Chief of Engineering would recognize dilithium and warp formulas…”

Scotty felt smaller, but the sarcasm was enough to sting him with a reminder of his purpose. “Aye, I do. May I ask what it is you’re plannin’ to do with those formulas?” He folded his arms to exude confidence, even though Khan kept his straight back towards him.

“Test them, prove their success, and ultimately implement them into the ship,” Khan replied simply. “We could be conserving much more power than we currently are.”

He didn’t like hearing Khan say ‘we’ when referring to the ship, as if he belonged on it. The certainty of his new formulas being used only angered the Scotsman further.

“Test them, aye. After that, we’ll see. Look ‘ere, Khan—”

The moment Scotty added even the most subtle inflection of threat in his tone, Khan stopped working and slowly swiveled in his chair. The lights of the computer screens seemed to reflect in Khan’s eyes and Scotty felt like he was being stared down by a predator. And yet, aside from the smallest narrowing of said eyes, Khan didn’t move or show any reaction. Nonetheless, Scotty suddenly lost his voice.

“Well?” Khan asked calmly. “You have my undivided attention now, Mr. Scott.”

Keenser jutted his shoulder into Scotty’s behind again.

“Ah… Good.” Scotty coughed and propped his hands on his hips. “Good. Then I’d like to remind ye that yer welcome to doodle up formulas and theorems to yer heart’s content, but any plans of experimenting and puttin’ them t’ use has to be passed by me first.”

“Naturally, Commander.” Khan was almost smiling. It made Scotty even more uncomfortable.

“Aye, naturally.”

Now he didn’t know what to say and he found himself in a staring contest with Khan, those multicolored eyes crushing down on him and provoking a flop sweat.

“And… that’s that!” Scotty coughed and pretended to notice something across the engine room. A quick, dismissive nod was given to Khan. “As you were, mister.”

Forcing himself to walk casually, he strolled away in a straight line to nowhere with Keenser close behind. He didn’t have to look to know that his little friend was shaking his head at him. That was embarrassing and he found he was grateful that he didn’t decide to attempt that machismo in front of Nyota.


	33. Chapter 33

The _Enterprise_ was sweeping vast areas of space in an attempt to detect the radiation of a cloaked Klingon vessel. It was the only way that they could hope to even begin tracking it. Jim was confident that their mere presence there would be enough to get the intruding Klingon vessel to come to them. After all, no Federation starship said “Come at me” like the _USS Enterprise_.

It would have seemed eerily quiet if space wasn’t already generally like that. The bridge crew patiently went about its work—scanning, searching, waiting—all the while Kirk was planted in the command chair for hours on end. He had only occasionally gotten to his feet for a stretch or some sort of break, to get some feeling back into his ass, only to return to the chair, rich blues fixed on the viewscreen that showed stars and readouts.

Bones was there, for no other reason than he could. After all, he had no patients at the moment and seemed to like to torture himself with being present when Jim made anxiety-inducing decisions on the bridge. The doctor leaned on the support rail that surrounded the lower level of the bridge, a coffee in his hand as he, too, occasionally looked to the viewscreen. It had been two hours since McCoy ambled in carrying a coffee for himself and one for Jim. In all that time he said very little, which meant he either had a tirade brewing or was extra nervous on this particular mission.

“So that’s it then…” he began at a ponderous grumble and Jim braced himself for what was to follow. “We’re here to find the Klingons and blast them outta the sky? Like mindless guns…?”

“If you want to put it succinctly, Doctor, yes,” Jim said somberly, his fingers rapping on the arm of the chair. “They attacked us first, so they haven’t given us much choice.”

“No, no, I get that… God help me for sayin’ it, but I miss the days of just flying into the damned unknown. At least then it wasn’t always a guaranteed fight.”

Jim missed it, too. Though he considered himself a soldier, he never felt more fulfilled than he did when he was exploring, making allies and not just enemies.

“Times have changed, Bones…” he said quietly. “For us at least. We all knew it was a matter of time before we’d be pulled into a war.”

“It’s not even officially a war,” McCoy openly debated. “It’s been decades of threats and near misses, but no one’s gone so far as to declare anything.”

“Careful what you wish for.”

“Captain,” Uhura turned from her station. “We’re being hailed. It’s the Klingons.”

“On screen.”

Jim never could get used to the initial repulsion of seeing the craggy face of a Klingon enlarged on the screen. This one seemed older, seasoned with scars and hard lines on his forehead.

“USS Enterprise _,_ ” his voice crackled fiercely throughout the bridge. “ _I am Captain Torvagh of the_ IKS Cha’ar _._ ”

Jim sat tall in his chair, staring coldly at the ugly face on his screen to betray no impression of intimidation in his part.

“Captain James Tiberius Kirk… But I’m sure you already knew that. A Federation civilian cargo ship was destroyed in this sector of space by a Klingon ship, a sector where you are now trespassing.”

“ _You are very diplomatic, Captain Kirk, but you do not need to dance around it. I am the one who destroyed that ship and will proudly claim that victory._ ”

Torvagh’s pride in killing innocent people made Jim’s blood pressure rise and he puffed a little in his command chair. He remained cool, though, not raising his voice lest the enemy knew he was under his skin.

“By your own admission, we would be within our right to destroy you here and now. However, if you’ve acted independently of the Klingon Empire, we’ll offer you this chance to surrender yourself to avoid war.”

“ _We have come to avenge the ships that have recently been destroyed and attacked by Starfleet._ ”

“If you’re referring to Bor’Jaq, we were acting in self-defense. As for the other ships, we had every reason to assume they were hostile under the circumstances.” The last part was a bit of a stretch.

“ _We know your ship received our hails, but we were attacked anyway!_ ”

He was one of the ships that Cartwright had chased off and Jim felt a sinking feeling.

“There was a misunderstanding,” Jim firmly argued. “The damage to our ship was critical from the battle with Bo’Jaq, the other Federation starships were defending us, as should be expected. How could they have known you weren’t there to finish the job?”

“ _Our shields and cloaks were down, Captain Kirk, what more proof should there have been?_ ” He seethed so viciously he spat a bit.

He hated that Torvagh was right. In the etiquette of war, there were certain universal signals to display peaceful intentions or hostile ones. Right before Cartwright’s ships attacked, Jim had taken notice of those signs and didn’t act quick enough.

“It’s not too late,” Jim said calmly despite how much harder his heart was beginning to beat. “We’re here now. So let’s talk.”

“ _We originally came to negotiate with the Federation for the war criminal John Harrison. He is wanted throughout the Klingon Empire and we want satisfaction. If you give him to us, we will call back any and all sanctioned Klingon warships from your space._ ”

He thought about Khan, uniformed and ready in the belly of the _Enterprise_ and he licked his lips before answering. “I hate to break it to you, but John Harrison is dead. We already dealt with him some time ago.”

Torvagh laughed scornfully. “ _Do you think I am a fool? We know he is alive. He was found on a colony in what you call the Ceti Alpha system, on the fifth planet. Dozens of our own were killed there!_ ”

The scar on Jim’s collar bone, where the bat’leth had cut him, ached at the memory. “I don’t know where you got your information, Torvagh, but like I said: Harrison’s dead.”

It was clear that the Klingon commander didn’t believe him by the sour look on his face. “ _If that is true, then your luck has run out, Captain Kirk. If we cannot have John Harrison, then we will have to settle for the next great enemy of the Klingon Empire—you!_ ”

The screen went black and Kirk felt that familiar surge of adrenaline, his clarity spiking now that they were faced with an invisible enemy. Torvagh was an experienced warrior, he wasn’t the hot head that Bor’Jaq was. This was a Klingon that tried to talk first before fighting, who was keen to the nuances of every action.

“Captain, shouldn’t we be on red alert?” Uhura cried out quickly at him with confusion.

“Shields, sir?” Sulu shouted with no lack of alarm.

Jim was on his feet now. “Yellow alert only. Keep our shields down.”

“Shouldn’t ve at least charge veapons, sir?” Chekov’s voice reached a higher pitch as he stared ahead at the emptiness of space.

“Negative, Mr. Chekov.”

“Captain…” Spock was glued to his station, his long hands ready for whatever action would be needed, but he was looking over his shoulder with a furrowed brow. “We are vulnerable.”

Jim’s gaze never left the viewscreen, his chest rising and falling slowing to steady his pounding heart. “And yet, they haven’t fired on us yet. Torvagh looks like he’s seen his fair share of battles. When the enemy doesn’t move, he notices. There’s no honor in killing a sitting duck.”

Jim sounded more confident than he truly was about this theory. Honestly, he had no idea if Torvagh was the type to hold honor above a simple victory.

“Jim!” Bones finally barked out, his eyes large and his brow damp with perspiration. “You’re invitin’ them to kill us all!”

“Shouldn’t we fight them?” Sulu was bewildered. “They destroyed that cargo ship. They killed people.”

He hadn’t forgotten, so the unnecessary reminder only added salt to the wound.

“We have orders to destroy them,” Spock said matter-of-factly, but with little conviction.

“Keep those shields down,” Jim repeated more slowly this time.

Silence filled the bridge, the sensors beeping softly as they detected nothing more than an occasional surge of radiation, no doubt from the circling battle cruiser.

“Bones…” Jim said quietly, as though afraid to be heard by the enemy. He finally tore his alert eyes from the empty screen to look to his friend. “We’re not mindless guns. Neither are the Klingons, as much of a pain in the ass they can be. They tried to talk to us after seeing one of their own obliterated and they got attacked for it. Yes, that cargo ship was full of innocent people. But for them it’s eye for an eye. We fight them now, it’ll just keep going round. They win, the Federation will have a vendetta and another log to throw on the fire for war. We win, it will be the same for Klingons.”

“Has it occurred to your corn-fed mind that you _might_ be giving those Klingons a little too much credit?” McCoy’s brow was jumping with anxiety. “They’re animals, Jim!”

At this point, it was best to tune out the nervous doctor lest it contaminated Jim’s already feeble certainty. “Any readings on sensors?”

“Only minor fluctuations in radiation. There was a brief energy reading, but it has dissipated,” Spock informed.

“They probably charged their weapons, ready to shoot us if we shield or move,” the captain ventured a guess. “They’re hesitating, waiting to see what we do next.”

“What _do_ we do next, sir?” Sulu was sweating, too, his hands itching to act.

Someone should do something. Jim created an impasse and it was his turn to move a piece. The choice was made for him though.

“They’re hailing us,” Uhura said with surprise.

Jim took a deep breath. “On screen.”

Torvagh’s gnarled face appeared, disgruntled and frustrated in every craggy line of his face.

“ _Is it that you wish to die, Captain Kirk?_ ” Torvagh accused, obviously masking his confusion.

“Not any time soon,” Jim replied without a beat. “We have no wish to fight if there’s a chance to reach terms here. Think about it, Torvagh. We can’t hand over John Harrison to you or any other Klingon who comes looking for him if he’s dead. More and more of you are going to keep coming to find him, and the more conflicts we have, the more we’ll realize there’s no more _risk_ of war because we’ll be _in_ one.”

“ _Just the sort of pretentious peace mongering to be expected from Federation fodder,_ ” Torvagh grimaced. “ _You are stalling because you know I can destroy you. The_ Enterprise _is no match for the_ Cha’ar!”

The direct insult to his ship struck Jim’s pride. “Consider this a fair warning, then. As a gesture for peace between the Klingon Empire and the United Federation of Planets, I’ll allow you to leave now unscathed. To show that in the face of battle, given a choice and with every reason for revenge on our side, we chose life over meaningless death. If you choose to fight I will tell you now that we are equipped to destroy any cloaked Klingon vessel in a single blow. You saw it happen to Bor’Jaq’s ship.”

Torvagh laughed. “ _A bluff. How amusing._ ”

“If you think it’s a bluff, go ahead and call it.”

Kirk didn’t so much as blink at the Klingon who stared him down, but his insides were screaming. Yes, for once he wasn’t bluffing. He really did have a powerful weapon at his disposal, but he prayed he wouldn’t have to use it again. Khan’s weapon was too efficient to be used as a first resort.

" _One of us will die a warrior's death then, Captain Kirk._ ” Torvagh said defiantly. _“Raise your shields and fight me!_ "

The screen returned to the darkness of space. Jim's plan failed, but it was better than not trying.

"Red alert! Shields up, arm phasers, and get those torpedoes loaded in the tubes!"

The bridge fired up in red light and every console sang madly with the inputs. No sooner did the _Enterprise_ begin to maneuver with its shields up was it shaken by a disrupter blast on its port side. The starship jolted from the impact, nearly knocking a few crewmen off their feet.

"Indirect hit, Keptin," Chekov announced, "but fired at close range."

The _Enterprise_ shook again, this time the blast was near the fore and lighting up the viewscreen with a light bright enough for the crew to squint or shield their eyes. Jim clutched the arms of his chair, but was in no danger of being thrown.

"Superficial damage, Captain," informed Lieutenant 0718.

"Again—indirect. Torvagh is a wery bad marksman, sir," said Chekov.

"Somehow I doubt that..."

"The bastard's toying with us then!" McCoy grumbled from beside Jim, shaking off droplets of the coffee that had spilled all over him in the jolting.

"If he was calling our bluff I think he would do better than that..." His index pressed down on the intercom. "Engine room!"

" _Engineering!_ "

"Scotty, can you turn one of Khan's super photon torpedoes into a firecracker? But keep the tracking capabilities intact?"

" _Wha—_ "

"I want it to hit with a light show but not cause too much damage. Can you do that?"

" _I can,_ " Khan's voice came through, cold and confident.

" _Aye, so can I,_ " added Scotty shortly.

"Then do it. You have three minutes." Disconnecting from the intercom he stared intently at the viewscreen. It crossed his mind that for all he knew, Khan would double the payload of the torpedo to obliterate the Klingons—the exact opposite of what Kirk wanted.

"Continue evasive maneuvers!"

The _Cha_ _’ar_ fired again, this time people were knocked from their stations, a few alarms going off. Chekov was one of the crew members who ended up on the floor.

“Ai…” he groaned as he pulled himself back into the chair at navigation. “Zat one hit us, sir…”

Kirk’s ribs had been knocked into the arm of his chair and he contained a wince. “Noted, Mr. Chekov…”

“Like I said,” grumbled Bones, “he’s toying with us. Now if you’ll excuse me, I gotta get to my med bay where people might need me and I won’t get tossed around like dice in a cup…”

“You mean you’re still here?” Jim teased absently as he looked from the viewscreen to the surrounding stations of the bridge. He caught a glimpse of McCoy stomping onto the turbolift just before the doors closed behind him. “Get the best reading you can on where that cloaked ship is. Once you have a best guess, fire two phaser shots.”

A few ‘Aye Captain’s answered him. He waited with learned patience as his crew worked, his mind all the while working, reading every action or lack thereof from Torvagh. The last time they encountered Klingons, Khan had insisted that they destroy the enemy. At that time, the ship was full of Khan’s people, of course, but Jim liked to think that maybe the augment was beginning to trust his command decisions.

“High energy reading at 2 degrees mark 6,” Spock spoke into his console as he gazed into the hooded screen. “Probably Klingon weapons being charged.”

“Good enough for me,” Jim said rapidly. “Target that energy reading, Mr. Sulu, and fire phasers!”

The ship sang with the phasers being shot forth, their beams lighting out into space, flying on an uninterrupted trajectory until they disappeared into the vacuum.

“Missed…” Chekov sighed.

“Don’t worry about it,” Jim said casually.

Those were four words that never sat well with his crew, especially in high risk scenarios. Truth was, he had no hopes of hitting the Klingon ship (since that wasn’t the point) but if he could get even a little close it would put on the appearance of effort. This ‘fight’ with Torvagh was becoming a charade. A pretend bout for both vessels to save face while saving lives. At least he hoped that was the case.

“Engineering, how’s that torpedo coming along?”

“ _She_ _’s finished and bein’ loaded into her tube as we speak, Cap’n,_ ” said Scotty.

“Good… Notify me the moment it’s ready to go. Helm, target that energy reading again and stand by to fire one torpedo.”

“Captain!” Spock’s voice rang out from the science station.

Kirk swiveled in the captain’s chair to face him. The Vulcan was peering over his shoulder, unable and unwilling to leave his post while under red alert, but his eyes fixed intently on the captain.

“What Spock?”

“By firing one of Khan’s torpedoes that are capable of tracking cloaked ships, you will be divulging a weapon to them that as yet has no defense.”

“And if I show it to them and let them live, they’ll report it and the Klingons will have a defense for it.” Jim concluded what he knew Spock was driving at. He thought about it long before the Vulcan even brought it up, he’d been in the war game long enough to know the cause and effect.

“Precisely,” said Spock. “A weapon of that efficiency is one that Starfleet could benefit greatly from. If it’s revealed before it can be implemented, by the time it’s in general use, the Klingons will have found a way to counter it.”

Damn his pointy ears for being right. But Jim didn’t feel like he had many other options open to him. So he put on a fake smirk. “Are you complimenting Khan’s work, Spock?”

“I am acknowledging it, Captain. Not praising it,” Spock’s brows were low with insult.

“Well, if the Klingons build a defense to it, then Khan can build something better.”

“ _Engineering to bridge._ _”_ Speak of the devil, it was Khan. “ _The torpedo is loaded, Captain._ ”

It was surreal to have Khan reporting to him as a subordinate officer. And yet there was a relief in being equally working parts in the same machine for once.

“Are you targeted, Sulu?”

“Mostly?” Sulu didn’t mask his uncertainty.

“Then _mostly_ target and fire the torpedo!”

Without anymore questioning, the single torpedo was fired, the ship rumbling as the weapon was ejected. The consoles beeped as they followed the torpedo’s trajectory and Jim’s throat felt a little dry as he waited. The problem with these new torpedoes was that if they didn’t find their intended target, they could easily turn around and hit the very ship that they were fired from.

“Torpedo banking,” Chekov commented simply. “Steel banking….”

Suddenly, it exploded. It was just what Kirk wanted, a bright flash, but superficial as it struck a cloaked surface. The ignition of the torpedo briefly outlined the shape of the Klingon battle cruiser before the flames were snuffed out by space, a few tiny flecks of plating trickling outward from their still invisible source. Silence followed as Jim waited for the response. The Klingons were sure to have some sort of counter attack.

Nothing.

The bridge still flashed in the red alert and all eyes were now on the viewscreen. Then, a console beeped behind Jim’s chair.

“It’s Torvagh,” Uhura reported slowly.

The Klingon’s ridged face appeared again, looking even more furious than ever.

“You may have won this fight, Captain Kirk, but you will not be so lucky next time!”

The generic threat would have made Jim laugh if he wasn’t so unsure about this whole scenario. The Klingon ship suddenly reappeared in front of them, its long nose turning away moments before it shot into warp and out of range of their sensors.

Jim’s mouth fell open and a breath of relief was released by everyone on the bridge all at once. Turning in the captain’s chair, he looked at Spock, who was looking back at him over his shoulder. As soon as they locked eyes, Jim couldn’t help the proud smile that blossomed. Spock, meanwhile, actually looked stunned.

“You convinced Captain Torvagh to feign defeat.”

Arrogance made Jim want to laugh and declare _You_ _’re damn right I did!_ even though he had doubted the success. Instead, he lessened his grin to a confident smirk, letting himself list casually in his chair.

“Take us off red alert, Lieutenant.”


	34. Chapter 34

It was still quite a journey to the edge of the Neutral Zone. Even after the battle with the Klingons, there was not much damage sustained and therefore there was little to do beyond the usual duties of the crew. Spock was off duty and needed diversion, so he challenged himself to a game of three-dimensional chess with the ship’s computer in the rec room among the rest of the crew. He was only seven moves into the game when he felt a shadow fall over him. Glancing up, a brow quirked with cold regard as he saw Khan standing over him.

“Mr. Spock,” he uttered the name with the same derision that he always had. “May I join you?”

Spock felt a raging desire to tell the augment to walk away and never approach him again. But the mere fact that Khan was approaching him, when it was well-established how little they cared for one another, inevitably piqued curiosity in the first officer.

“Please…” he said politely, but not sincerely.

Khan slipped into the chair opposite to Spock, the towering chess game between them, and his colorful eyes flickered over the layers of the game with interest.

“Could I interest you in a game?” Spock offered, feeling a different kind of competitiveness than he experienced with Jim. This was not a challenge between friends, it was a science experiment. He wanted more data on Khan’s strategy techniques.

Khan, he knew, could not pass on the opportunity to test and prove his own intellect, especially against the logical first officer of the _USS Enterprise_ , and he quite predictably smirked and nodded.

“Set the board, Mr. Spock.”

Spock did so, returning the dual-colored pieces back to their starting points. He allowed Khan the lighter set, to give him the first move. He began with a pawn, a very simple move.

“You might have ascertained that I did not come here merely to play games with you,” Khan commented, his eyes on the board.

“Not merely,” Spock agreed. He suspected in his own way Khan did intend to play games with him.

“Something has been gnawing at my mind for some time now…” Khan began as they alternated in their turns, moving pieces methodically in their squares and from one level to another. “Ceti Alpha VI. You were there, you yourself confirmed its eventual destruction.  Any official report of it is either untruthful or inaccessible, so I decided the only true understanding I can gain of that planet is from the source.”

“Is it not enough to know that the planet is doomed?” Spock asked, his eyes leaving Khan only briefly to move his knight.

“It is not,” Khan’s voice hardened. “I am willing to accept your word that Ceti Alpha VI is unstable. What I wish to know is why? What makes the planet so volatile? And why would Section 31 risk putting agents there?”

Spock stole a glance about the recreation room. There were very few people present, only four others total, which were crew members that Spock had known throughout the 5-year mission, people who were very unlikely to be Cartwright’s spies. That wasn’t to say, of course, that Cartwright didn’t have technological ways of spying.

“The answer to those questions was deemed classified,” Spock said simply.

Khan’s mouth tightened and he paused in his turn. “But if you had the desire to divulge it, I am certain rules are not as prohibiting as you pretend they are. You are quite adept at loopholes and technicalities.”

Khan clearly hadn’t forgotten Spock’s trick with the torpedoes when he led him to believe his crew was still in there with simple insinuation. Or the fact that Spock was as able to break rules as he could bones. They had learned a lot about each other since their first meeting.

“I have no reason to be anything but direct,” said Spock. “Ceti Alpha VI was rendered unstable by Tellarite mining centuries ago. All that is maintaining the planet’s stability are frequency modulators put in place by Section 31 so that they could reside there safely. A temporary solution, of course.”

“A foolish and unnecessary risk on their part,” Khan’s nose wrinkled with contempt as he finally made his next move.

“You believe so?” Spock’s pointed brows furrowed as he looked over the layered chess boards to Khan. “Being aware of your existence there, they could have easily killed you all themselves or left Ceti Alpha VI unmodified to explode and let you die. Instead, they allowed you to live and provided the means to make it possible.”

“Out of their custom for mercy, clearly,” Khan gave a scathing smile.

Spock detected the bitter sarcasm easily. “Perhaps it was for their own design, but you cannot deny that their presence has allowed you years of near-peace, since the conflict you suffered was of your own making. I believe we can also conclude that had the Klingons not come for you, and had the _Enterprise_ not arrived, you may have had an even longer stay on Ceti Alpha V than you would had Section 31 not been on the neighboring planet to prevent it from exploding naturally.”

Khan hardly blinked as he listened to Spock’s analysis, both of them continuing their game as they conversed. Spock was collecting more and more of Khan’s pieces and he was ready to corner the augment’s king.

“I will be thanking them for nothing when they are likely the ones who told the Klingons where to find me. Checkmate.”

Spock looked to the board skeptically. With only a few glances, however, the Vulcan betrayed shock when his lips parted. Khan had beaten him.

The ex-tyrant didn’t gloat or dwell in his victory. His countenance was still dark with brooding as he rose to his full stature.

“Be careful that you do not sympathize with them, Mr. Spock. Section 31 may act in the interest of the Federation, but they will feed you and this entire crew to the lions if they think it will benefit the United Federation of Planets. Sacrifices are always to be made.”

Spock felt irritation grinding inside of him as he looked at the defeat on the chessboards, but he put on his coldest facade as he, too, rose to stand so that he could meet Khan’s eye.

“I believe there is an old Earth metaphor regarding a pot calling a kettle black.”

A smirk tugged at the edge of Khan’s mouth, a sinister glimmer in his eye. “Neither of us are above a bit of savagery for the greater good, even if your good is not the same as mine.”

“The preservation of life should not be so easily regarded as relative. If I were to kill you I can assure you it would be for a greater good than yours from any perspective.”

The Vulcan surprised himself with the malice that dripped into his words and there was a burn of embarrassment to have let it shown. Khan’s smirk faltered at the threat and he lifted his chin haughtily.

“Thank you for the game, Commander. Perhaps we could have a rematch in the future.”

Khan strutted out of the recreation room, disregarding anyone that he passed by.

It occurred to Spock that perhaps he was being too aggressive towards Khan, not merely as a Vulcan, but as reluctant allies. But Spock had a very vivid memory and could not justify everything that he had seen Khan do with his own eyes. He hated to admit it to himself, that Khan was absolutely right. Section 31 was not to be trusted.

 

* * *

  
Being on Regula I, rather than a Federation Starship like the _Enterprise,_ should have been more relaxing than it was for Marla. Joaquin was always close, serving as her friend and guard, and though it was some kind of comfort to see him watching her so closely (which she assumed were Khan’s orders) it didn’t completely eliminate the paranoia that followed her everywhere she went.

It had been a month since the _Enterprise_ left them and not once had she ever let baby Nanette out of her sight. She feared that any moment one of Khan’s dissenters would snatch her away and disappear into the vastness of space. She couldn’t help but think that the safest place for the infant was with her and Khan, whenever he came back to them.

Meanwhile, the other augments were not settling in as smoothly as was hoped. Since Regula I was a research facility, there were only so many sections of the station in which unauthorized personnel like the colonists were allowed to roam. Marla suspected that if it was public knowledge that these colonists were Khan’s people, the missing augments from 300 years ago, they would have been imprisoned immediately. To this day, though, Starfleet seemed intent on keeping their existence as confidential as possible. The general public only knew about the traitor-turned-terrorist John Harrison. The return of Khan Noonien Singh was fantasy, and as she came to discover through the computers, a disregarded conspiracy theory.

With one eye kept on Nanette, Marla kept the other on the dissenters. They were careful, but there were times when she would spy them breaking away from the rest of the colonists into their discrete groups, whispering amongst themselves. They were planning something, that much was obvious. Especially when she would see Otto doing most of the talking in these groups, the others looking to him for direction. With Hans and Kati dead, and Rodriguez drafted into Khan’s special team, Otto was left in charge of whatever followers they had left.

Marla wished desperately that they could give up their needless opposition to Khan. This was escalating more and more with each disagreement and each death. She had a feeling that they didn’t even know their reasons for opposing her husband anymore. It all seemed to be turning into pure acts of spite and defiance for their own sake.

Unfortunately, Marla couldn’t sit back and be a mere observer. She was Starfleet trained and it was in her nature to act where she found she could.

On one of the occasions where she had seen Otto talking to three other augments at a whisper, she waited until the group dispersed before she calmly approached him, Nanette babbling in her arms.

“Otto, can we talk?”

He stopped and looked at her coldly, but his eyes flickered to the baby for the briefest moment.

“I can’t imagine what we would have to talk about, My Lady,” he said with mocking respect.

“How about whatever it is you’re planning,” she replied without a beat, holding his gaze. “You can play stupid, it’s fine. I know anyway. I just want to ask you— _beg_ you to rethink this.”

He kept his lips pressed tightly together, saying nothing but not breaking his attention on her.

“Khan will find out what you’re doing if he hasn’t already and nothing good can come of it. Don’t provoke him.”

“It’s different than before,” his voice trembled slightly as he confessed. “This isn’t some coup to overthrow Khan for power. We just want to annex ourselves, like Hans originally wanted before things got out of control. No one has to get hurt if we could just get away safely.”

She could tell he was being honest. Otto had never been as deceptive or manipulative as his counterparts.

“I can help,” she said without needing to even consider it. “I want to help.”

She almost regretted saying it when he clammed up, his mouth closing and his chest puffing. “I know who you want to help, Lady Singh. I suggest you back off and look the other way.”

“Otto—” she tried to reason, but he was already walking away.

“Back off.” He said sharply, his back firmly towards her as he made his exit.

 

* * *

 

Captain Kirk’s report to Starfleet Command about the battle with the Klingons was truthful in its entirety, and it was always a relief to him to be able to be straight forward, maybe even brag a little about his own ingenuity. This was his last chance to send a report now that they were en route to the Neutral Zone and had to keep radio silence.

After he personally sent the report, an hour passed before he received a transcribed reply directly from Rear-Admiral Cartwright. According to the message, they were going to receive their next orders, in detail, in 2 days. Captain Kirk, Commander Spock, and Khan were all required to be present to receive the orders.

That gave them some time to breathe, at least.

As he sat in his private quarters, his eyes fell upon the plush sehlat that his son had given him and a smile touched at his lips. The childish thing stood out against the relics of books and small statuettes that littered his bleak room. It was the only thing he owned that made him feel like he had a life somewhere out there outside of this ship. It felt good to have a compelling reason to come back.

He then remembered that this toy was originally a gift from Spock to David. But not _his_ Spock, the other one—the one from a different time and place. He thought about the old Vulcan often throughout his life. To know that there was a version of his dearest friend, who was the same person and yet someone completely different, who knew his own version of Jim… It made his head spin when he thought too hard about it. And it made him highly suspicious of Ambassador Spock, who was the reason they were here now.

They could still send transmissions for the next 72 hours or so, so he made a call to New Vulcan.

When the old Vulcan’s face appeared, it was strangely comforting to see, and the pleased look on Ambassador Spock’s face made him think it was the same for him.

“ _Jim_ ,” his aged voice said simply.

“Ambassador Spock,” the young captain couldn’t help keeping up respectful titles.

“ _I am pleased to see that you are well._ ”

“I’m a little pleased about it myself,” Jim grinned.

“ _Is there something in which I can be of help?_ ”

“Sort of…” Jim looked at him curiously. “I’ve been meaning to ask you… Did you give Carol Marcus and her son a gift when he was born?”

If he didn’t know any better, he was sure he saw green appear in those ashen cheeks. But the sallow looking Vulcan blinked and sighed as if to seem nonchalant.

“ _I_ _… have acted in the customary Earth tradition of offering a gift to Carol Marcus’s newborn son._ ”

“Uh huh…” Jim almost wanted to laugh at the familiarity of a Vulcan dodge. “You gave my son a teddy bear.”

“ _A replica of a Vulcan sehlat made of synthetic fibers so as not to be harmful to an infant_.”

“It was a teddy bear, Spock,” Jim was grinning now. The longer he talked to him, the more he could see the Spock he knew and he couldn’t help dropping the title.

Both pointed brows rose and Spock canted his head, a silent indication of stubbornness and a refusal to continue the argument or concede.

“Okay, okay…” Jim let him off the hook. “Anyway… I wanted to say thanks.”

“ _You are welcome, Jim._ ”

“The other me that you knew… Was he a father, too?”

Spock seemed to delay his response just long enough to consider any repercussions of answering before he nodded subtly. “ _Yes. To David Marcus._ ”

Even in another universe he and Carol still had a child together. The knowledge of that somehow made it heavier and sent electricity through him. In another universe, he still had David, who was probably a middle-aged man when this Spock knew him. So many questions and curiosities emerged. He desperately wanted to ask what kind of a man David turned out to be. But he knew Spock’s answer to that. He couldn’t tell of things to come, only things that were, just in case if they could still happen.

Jim laughed and ran a hand down his face. “God, there’s so much I wanna know about him… But don’t worry, I’m not going to ask.”

Spock had opened his mouth with a ready warning, but closed it again when he was reassured.

“There’s something else I wanted to ask you that’s unrelated…”

“ _Of course._ ”

“You knew Khan was on Ceti Alpha V when you sent us on that science expedition, didn’t you?”

“ _I suspected_ ,” Spock corrected.

“What happened with Khan in your timeline?”

“ _You know the dangers of my revealing too much_ _…_ ”

“You made me think the universe would implode or something if you met yourself, and it turns out that didn’t happen. So, no I _don_ _’t_ know, because you’re not the most straightforward guy I’ve ever known. You’re worse than a fortune cookie.”

His wrinkled face furrowed with offense and Jim remembered that he was talking to an older wiser Vulcan, not necessarily his First Officer buddy.

“Sorry…” He murmured. “But in all honesty, Ambassador, I have every reason to think you’re holding out on information that I might need to know. That man is on my ship as we speak with fourteen of his people. He would have killed us all those years ago if you hadn’t helped Spock.”

At the mention of Khan there was a darkness in Spock’s eyes that sent a chill through Jim. They had artfully danced around the name the last time they spoke, but everything was on the table now and Jim hated to be diplomatically vague. The Vulcan was obstinately silent and it did nothing to comfort Kirk.

“Can you tell me what happened in your own timeline? I know you met him and beat him. Can’t I at least know the why and how of it? You said it yourself that you wanted me to make informed decisions. Your words.”

The aged Vulcan’s narrow shoulders perceptibly rose and fell in a sigh and his frown eased away.

“ _No, Jim. I can_ _’t disclose anything that will alter your decisions in the future. What happened in my timeline with Khan Noonien Singh was devastating and set of a course of events that significantly altered the future of the Federation and the lives of your crew. You do not need me to confirm that which you already know._ ”

“What do I already know?”

“ _That your life will continue to be directly affected by Khan, as it has been. You must do everything in your power to ensure that whatever good can come of it, will come. We also marooned Khan and his people on Ceti Alpha V with hopes that a grand civilization would spring from it. Had the planet not been destroyed, he could have founded the greatest human colony known to the Federation._ ”

There was heavy warning in his voice with only a touch of hope. The air suddenly felt thick around Jim and he lowered his gaze as he turned the words over in his head.

“ _Jim._ ”

The caution in Spock’s voice drew his eyes up again.

“ _Whatever choices you will undoubtedly be forced to make, please remember this: The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few—Or the one._ ”

“I know that one, you’ve told me before…” Jim felt a headache coming on.

“ _I feel it is my duty to reiterate it in the event that the meaning is forgotten._ ”

“I know what it means… Thanks, I guess.”

Spock didn’t look satisfied with Jim’s response, but what was the young captain supposed to say to that? The Vulcan was spouting ethical mantras that had been taught in the Academy.

“I’ll remember, Ambassador, I promise. I’ll be in touch when I can.”

“ _That would be greatly appreciated,_ ” Spock said it coldly but there was a hint of a possible smile on his thin lips.

“Oh, one more thing before I sign off…” Jim was smirking now, and reaching over took the sehlat from the shelf to hold in view for Spock. “Hope you don’t take offense to David re-gifting. He thought I should have it.”

Spock’s aged face seemed to light up a little at the sight of the bear, but he maintained an admirable stoic expression. “ _It is his to do with as he pleases. Though it is favorable that you should be the one he gives it to._ ”

“Don’t you think I’m a bit too old for it, though?”

“ _I would prefer to spare your feelings with such a debate, Captain_ _…_ ”

He would have sworn it was the younger Spock sassing off to him now and Jim laughed. They were the same Vulcan, no doubt about it.

“Okay, I’ll stop you right there. Goodbye, Spock.”

“ _Goodbye, Jim. Live long and Prosper._ ”


	35. Chapter 35

After nearly two months of voyaging, the _USS Enterprise_ was only a few hours away from the Neutral Zone. There was only one transmission, on a coded and secured frequency, and it was from Rear-Admiral Cartwright. He was on the large screen of the briefing room where he could overlook the three occupants: Captain Kirk, Khan, and Mr. Spock.

Floating above the table was a three-dimensional map of the Neutral Zone between the Klingon Empire and Federation Space. Dotting this map were small symbols signifying the many known Klingon outposts along the Neutral Zone.  There were hundreds of them, some more spaced out than others, very few close enough to the edge of the zone to even be reachable. For the past thirty minutes and twenty seconds, Cartwright had been informing them on the particulars of the outposts and the significance of them.

“ _You_ _’ll be patrolling the edge of the Neutral Zone beginning in this sector…_ ” It lit up on the map as he spoke about it. “ _It_ _’s the sparsest area at the moment, and though it won’t be a completely covert fact that you’ll be patrolling, we obviously don’t want to broadcast your presence or send out any flares. From there, the covert part will happen. You’ll fly in a shuttle craft or space jump—depending on the distance and your discretion—to reach a Klingon outpost and plant a transmitter. They were loaded on board your ship when you were at Regula I, you’ll find them labeled as AX-315 in the cargo bay. These transmitters, once planted and activated, are undetectable. They use a frequency so low that, unless you know what you’re looking for, you can’t find it. It also encodes the data as it sends it, and it can’t receive anything either. There’s nothing on it to trace it back to the Federation.”_

“Not that there would be much mystery behind who exactly would put it there,” Jim added dryly.

“One can never exploit plausible deniability too far,” Khan replied with a sneer.

“ _I will neither confirm nor deny that,_ ” Cartwright almost smirked at his own humor.

Spock did not find it very amusing, and so he remained silent, studying the map as the Rear-Admiral continued.

“ _There are one hundred transmitters on your ship. More than enough to disperse along the Neutral Zone, and more than enough for any margin of error should one or more malfunction or some other unforeseen complication_ _…_ ”

“What precisely is the function of these transmitters?” Spock was the first to ask.

“ _They_ _’re programmed to retrieve data. They read and redirect any transmissions coming and going in the Klingon outpost. It’s not enough for us to be picking up occasional transmissions here and there from random Klingon vessels. This is a way for us to eavesdrop on their bases from a distance. We don’t dare to have the transmitters translate the Klingon language before reaching us, just in case if they get a hold of it. We have enough experts in xenolinguistics to translate it anyway. I don’t need to tell you just how invaluable it will be to gather this kind of intel on the Klingons. If we can know their next step, or get information on any of their military moves, we’ll be one step ahead of them when this war breaks out._ ”

 _When_ the war breaks out. Spock felt a clench in his chest at the Rear-Admiral’s certainty. Admiral Marcus once had the same tone, albeit with less justification. It was logical, however, and his duty. There was no reason to dispute it. When at war, they must do what must be done.

“ _Obviously, these missions for planting the transmitters will be highly dangerous. But it isn_ _’t something a super human or two can’t handle…_ ” he eyed Khan who showed no response. “ _What is your ETA to the edge of the Neutral Zone?_ ”

“Approximately four hours and forty-five minutes,” Spock took it upon himself to answer.

Cartwright nodded subtly. “ _Then you_ _’d better pick your away team and suit them up. You won’t want to linger in one place for very long when you get there or the Klingons will take more notice than is comfortable._ ”

“Understood,” Captain Kirk replied simply.

“ _When you reach the Neutral Zone, you will maintain radio silence until the rendezvous time in five-months time. Good luck, Captain._ ” The transmission was terminated.

Spock took notice that no such wish of fortune was bestowed on Khan, and the Vulcan suspected it was not wanted either way. As soon as the call was ended, Khan looked across the polished table to the captain.

“A space jump would be the least detectable to Klingon sensors compared to a shuttlecraft,” Khan began with the planning immediately.

“The farther the distance the more risky though,” Jim pointed out, but there was a distinct lack of disagreement in his tone. “If the outpost is too far, we could always jump from a shuttlecraft.”

Jim said ‘we’ and Spock felt anger bristle, though he showed no reaction. “It is advisable that you remain on board the _Enterprise_ during such a high-risk mission, Captain. We have, after all, a more fit team that had been brought on board specifically for these tasks.”

“I’d feel better having a real Starfleet officer there to monitor the mission.” Jim said it as though it was a good argument, rather than a completely childish and illogical justification.

Spock blinked heavily, knowing how stubborn the hardheaded captain could be. “Then I will go.”

Jim scoffed. “I’m not gonna risk my first officer on this kind of mission.”

Spock stared at him, hoping his hypocrisy would eventually register.

“No,” Jim said more firmly. “I’ve done this kind of thing more often than you have, Spock, it’s logical.”

Even before Jim finished uttering the word, Spock was going to make him regret using it so flippantly. The Vulcan calmly folded his arms, his head canting just slightly to the right.

“You may have performed a space jump on more occasions than I have, but never for such a technical purpose. The goal of this mission is to install a piece of new, advanced technology that requires precision and stealth. As you are neither a science officer nor an engineer, you cannot proceed with the same confidence and knowledge to ensure that this precious equipment is installed properly. I am familiar with communications and science, Khan excels at engineering, and we are both physically more capable for a long distance space jump than an average human.”

If anyone had to be hurled into the vacuum of space with Khan again, it was not going to be Jim. The captain’s mouth was tightly closed, his nostrils a little flared as he obviously sought a counter argument. In his peripheral, Spock noticed Khan smirking, one corner of his mouth pulled back smugly as he observed the argument but contributed nothing.

Jim finally noticed the augment’s amusement and frowned at him across the table. “What’s so funny?”

“I have scarcely seen a more logically constructed lover’s quarrel.”

It wasn’t the first time anyone had made such a joke about Kirk and Spock, and frankly the Vulcan found it annoying. Jim gave a dramatic roll of his eyes and sighed.

“Okay, fine…” he conceded with obvious reluctance, and without addressing Khan’s joke. “Fine. Khan, pick the two people you find best suited for this. Spock, you’ll go with them. We’ll flesh out the details when we arrive and get more information on the outpost, how far it is, if anyone’s patrolling around it…”

There was a very real danger of Klingon patrol ships around the Neutral Zone, lurking like sharks in dark waters.

Jim was on his feet. “We have a few hours till we arrive. I suggest you two get yourselves more familiar with those transmitters that Cartwright apparently smuggled onto my ship…”

It only now began to really dawn on Spock that he was going to be spending quite a bit of time with Khan for the sake of this mission, and all because he volunteered for it. Though he felt a distinct abhorrence to the very idea, it was still preferable to any more time between Jim and the ex-tyrant.

 

* * *

 

Four months. That’s how far along the baby was, her belly beginning to show visibly as it was taut against her shirt. But she had only gotten pregnant a little less than three months ago. Marla could have easily visited the infirmary of Regula I to check on the progress of her unborn child, but paranoia prevented her. The identity of the augments was still under wraps, their most closely guarded secret. She knew one of the doctors of Regula I, who were among the best, would immediately recognize any superior genes running through her system or the baby’s.

It was fortunate for her, then, that the doctor of their colony on Ceti Alpha V was present on Regula I. His name was Cedric Ferrante and he had overseen every single pregnancy and birth on Ceti Alpha V. On one or two occasions, he allowed Marla to consult with him over the years that she and Khan had been attempting to conceive. Unfortunately, Ferrante was among those who didn’t hold the inferior woman in very high regard.

There was a brief time when her suspicious mind led her to consider the possibility that he might have been sabotaging their efforts to have a child, but the physician clearly knew he didn’t need to interfere where they were doomed to fail as it was. It was because of the turned up nose and general air of disgust about him that made her reluctant to visit him now, when she truly was carrying Khan’s child. She had no choice if she hoped to avoid any attention to her rapidly growing belly.

Ferrante was professional in his examination, telling her everything she would need to know regarding the child’s development. As an augmented child, it was going to mature much more quickly. At this rate, he expected the pregnancy to last perhaps 7 months rather than a full 9. Maybe even less, depending on how well her own feeble body handles it. She felt just fine though (considering the normal morning sickness and other bodily inconveniences).

It would have been a lie to say she was completely without fear as she left Ferrante’s room. The speed in which her child was growing was not what her own body was built for, and though it seemed alright thus far, there was always the chance it could go horribly wrong and fast. Or not at all, since the serum from Khan’s blood was still in her system, the child’s own blood commingling with her own and protecting her. The child was growing like a full blooded augment. Would it grow at the same rate after being born?

During her visit to Ferrante, she had Nanette with her every moment. Nanette, meanwhile, was also growing rapidly. She was a few months old and already seemed to be well over a year, babbling and grabbing things with ease, her eyes a striking hazel and her hair thick and luxurious to the point that Marla had begun braiding it into thick ropes of pigtails.

As she walked through Regula I with Nanette on her hip, she found herself idling a little. She didn’t want to go back to her room. She had been spending most of her time there, alone and basically hiding from everyone. She didn’t want Starfleet seeing her or the augments watching her.

All that cooping up had her going stir crazy, though. She wanted to breathe. She began to make her way towards the cafeteria, but anxiety began to close around her heart, choking it where it beat hard. She stopped dead in her tracks, standing frozen in the middle of the wide corridor while the scientists of the Regula I went to and fro, not giving her and the infant in her arms much of a glance.

It was all because of one paralyzingly scary thought: Who would want her there? Or anywhere for that matter?

She knew it was foolish to feel this way, and yet she could not get her panicking body to cooperate with her reasoning mind. Instead, she tried to focus on just catching her breath again, Nanette oblivious as she pulled and chewed on Marla’s hair.

“Marla!” A voice pierced into her hazed mind and she turned in time to see Carol approaching, David’s hand in hers.

“Hi!” David happily greeted her.

Marla put on a faltering smile. “Hello,” she said more breathlessly than she wished.

“Are you alright?” Carol asked quietly as she stepped nearer, a concerned frown on her face.

“Yeah, I just…” She struggled for an excuse. “I got lost for a second. Still learning my way around here.” That was an embarrassing lie.

“We were just on our way home,” Carol smiled warmly. “I’ve been meaning to see you for awhile. Been so busy lately. Then I saw you standing here, and…”

Marla could still feel her heart beating a million times a minute. “Well, I won’t keep you then…”

“Actually,” Carol spoke before Marla could walk away. “I was wondering if you and Nanette would join us for dinner?”

The anxiety that had gripped her suddenly let go and Marla was overwhelmed with the gratitude that filled her and her eyes instantly began to sting with the tears. She quickly turned her face away with a self-conscious laugh as she dragged the back of her free hand under her eyes.

“God, I’m sorry…” she said with embarrassment. “I don’t usually cry so easily…”

The other woman slipped a comforting arm over her shoulders, a gesture that Marla had not received in a long time.

“No need to apologize…” Carol gently laughed with her. “If it makes you feel any better, I cried at everything when I was pregnant, too.”

Carol was trivializing Marla’s sensitive emotions, and yet that was exactly what she needed. It wasn’t condescending, it felt like friendship and Marla no longer felt so alone. Carol’s arm was still over her shoulder, and she had let go of David’s hand to take Nanette’s tiny hand as it reached for her.

“So… Dinner?” She reiterated the offer with a smile.

Marla could feel the ridiculous need to cry again, and with welled eyes and a smile, she nodded.


	36. Chapter 36

It was the best dinner that Marla had had in years, even if it was replicator-made. The machines were able to create the most savory and rich flavors, particularly meat, without any animal having to be hurt in the process. When living on Ceti Alpha V, that was one of the most difficult obstacles to overcome. But she surprised herself at how quickly survival can turn one into a killer, even if it was animals and not humans on her part.

More than the food, it was having the company. After dinner was eaten and a majority of the dishes cleaned up, Carol sat with her at the table to share coffee. David was in the other room, just within sight of them, playing with baby Nanette who sat on the floor and laughed at whatever antics the boy discovered she liked.

Marla was smiling to herself, the warmth of the coffee and the company seeping into her and comforting her. It made her recent near-panic attack seem silly and unfounded. Their conversation had covered varying topics, from motherhood things, to reminiscing about the brief time they spent together so long ago on Starbase 12, before everything fell apart.

“So much has happened since then…” Carol mused quietly. “It was only 8 years ago, and here we are as if it’s been twenty.”

“Feels more like a hundred,” Marla chuckled lightly. Her hand, as it was in the habit of doing now, rested atop the swell of her belly. “Who could have imagined you’d still end up being my only friend…” It wasn’t until she said it that she realized just how self-pitying that sounded, but she meant to be grateful.

“Surely you’ve made some friends with Khan’s people…” Carol’s tone was a little tight, seeming skeptical of the very notion.

“In a way,” said Marla. “There are a few people I trust and who… well, seem to tolerate me. But there hasn’t been anyone I could really sit with and laugh with. Like this. It’s hard to find things in common with people who have such a different history from your own. I should say, people who _are_ history.”

“They hardly seem copacetic amongst themselves,” Carol commented. “It’s no secret that half of them aren’t exactly thrilled with Khan.”

Marla only nodded, lowering her eyes as she sipped her coffee in hopes that Carol wouldn’t see the shame in her eye.

“There’s always been tension,” she admitted quietly. “Would be impossible to have that many superior beings together without egos and opinions clashing…Everything has just escalated so much further than it should have…”

She looked through the doorway to Kati’s orphaned daughter, laughing and playing with David Marcus without a clue about her parents and the politics that killed them or the ability to even begin understanding it.

“What happened to her parents?” Carol asked, her blue eyes also looking into the other room at baby Nanette.

“Mindless violence…” Marla said quietly, feeling surprisingly numb to the question. “Kati wanted to kill me with poison and accidentally used it on herself. In order to save Nanette… she cut her out with a knife.”

“Oh my God…”

It felt like it happened to someone else the way that Marla was talking about it. “I can’t hate her for it, though… She was angry and desperate.”

Carol carefully set her coffee down, her full attention on Marla with a look of horror. “What happened to the father?”

“Khan killed him.”

There was no surprise on Carol’s part, but she said nothing, only intently waiting for elaboration.

“It was terrible, Carol…” Marla’s voice finally weakened as she thought on it. “Do you remember when we said goodbye on Ceti Alpha V? Captain Kirk was kind enough to leave us with all kinds of supplies, to help us begin a new life there, including a single phaser.”

“I remember…”

 “That phaser…” Marla shook her head slowly. “A stupid, standard hand phaser which saved our lives more often than not in the beginning when we were struggling just to survive. And that same stupid phaser is the reason why everything had fallen apart so horribly…” She tried to sound bitter, but the bitterness was choked in her throat. “There was only one between the 73 of us, so it only made sense that Khan would carry it, to ensure that it was used conservatively, to last us as long as possible until we could manage well enough without the convenience of that kind of technology. There were always arguments and disagreements on how the colony should be managed, that’s human nature.

“The most vocal person against Khan was Kati’s husband, Hans. He was a good man, for as well as I knew him. But his opinions were often the complete opposite of Khan’s and people began to take sides. It wasn’t long before those sides began to form their own opinions of who had the right to carry the most powerful weapon on the planet. At first, Hans tried to convince Khan to simply share it, but Khan wasn’t about to hand it to a man who was making him his enemy. Honestly, I was afraid of who would use it on Khan… or me… I was always the strongest evidence against Khan’s suitability as the leader of a superior race…

“This went on for years. Disputes, arguments, a rare punch being thrown. Hans told us both that this was never going to go away and he asked Khan’s permission to take his followers and form a colony of his own elsewhere. We had a whole planet to ourselves, after all. There was plenty of room. At least, I thought so… Khan refused to agree to a separation. Any divide now, even under peaceful conditions, would turn them into rival colonies. A hundred years later it could mean war between two groups that had forgotten their common ancestry. That wasn’t the world that Khan wanted to create. When he’d tell me about the days of the Eugenics Wars, it was always about unity. Purifying and bringing everyone together. That’s the only way to have peace. He wouldn’t let Hans take his people away from him, to turn them against us, even if that wasn’t his intention at that moment in time. There should be no ‘us versus them’ in our colony, he would say. You can imagine that Hans wasn’t going to agree so easily…

“His own followers encouraged him—I always heard them. They wanted him to replace Khan, to take control for himself. All else failed and Hans finally agreed. One night, he led a coup in the colony to arrest Khan and take control for himself. But we knew it was coming. One of Hans’ own told us what he had planned, so we were ready. When it comes to strategy, Khan is efficient. He subdued them within moments and before I knew it he had Hans restrained and on his knees with his followers. I was so scared. I knew this was going to end bloody. Khan was furious, there was no telling what he was going to do.

“He took out the phaser and showed it to everyone. It was what everyone had come to see as the symbol of power on Ceti Alpha V, and he said he was going to ensure that it wouldn’t be an issue anymore, that he was going to destroy it. I was relieved. Until he took rope and began to bind it around Hans, with the phaser tied to him…”

Her heart was pounding at the memory’s vivid return.

“Besides Khan, I was the only one who knew what the sudden ear-piercing ringing sound was….”

“Oh God…” Carol breathed, but put a hand over her mouth as if to keep herself from interrupting.

“Then he told Hans to run. Run as fast as he could or he’ll blow them all to hell.” Her voice shook. “The phaser was set to overload and there was nothing that could stop it. The moment Hans understood that, he… he ran. He ran away from the colony, away from the people, and away from his wife who was being held by his enemies. He barely reached a safe enough distance before it finally went off… Everything shook, a couple of houses were damaged, but didn’t fall. No one was hurt though, aside from a few headaches and ringing ears… But Hans… There was nothing left of him. No trace that there had even been a human. Only a crater. A crater that Khan had filled and erased the very next day. He didn’t want to give them a landmark for their martyr...”

She didn’t have to look directly at Carol to know that the woman was looking at her with horror. Marla felt it too, to this day.

“Khan had every intention of killing Kati along with her husband, since she had been his right hand during all of this. The only thing that saved her from his wrath was that she was pregnant. I wish I could say it was mercy on Khan’s part… But it was calculation and I knew it. I still know it. But Carol, these cruel things that he does aren’t for their own sake. I could see past his rage that it was breaking his heart to have to fight his own family like this. That they would betray him and force his hand. He’s so disconnected from everyone because he’s looking ahead at the bigger picture. I can’t see that far. I can’t see past the present pain and anger. So for a while I stayed away from him. The more time that passed, the more Khan seemed to…”

“Seemed to what?”

“I hate the word, but… grovel. He was begging me to come back to him, to understand that he did what he had to do. For as much as I could understand it, it scared me too much to accept. It still does. That’s why I’m terrified of him being out there right now with Captain Kirk, the rest of our fates hanging in the balance for what he does or doesn’t do.”

“And you have no idea what he’s going to do?”

Marla shrugged. “I’m afraid he’ll do something, but in all honesty I’m not certain that he will. After what he did to Hans, he changed. We all did, I think. It affected the colony and how it behaved as a whole. There were some who thought Khan did the right thing, the thing that any fearsome leader should be willing to do. There were others who just thought it was pure cruelty. They were afraid of him, either way. Even more than they already were. And I had him eating out of my hand.”

A silence fell as the weight of her story lingered. Finally, Marla looked to the blonde intently. “Carol, I tried to talk to Otto. He and Rodriguez have taken over Kati’s position as the leaders of Khan’s opposition. I told him that I wanted to help them get away without anyone getting hurt.”

Carol went a little white. “Marla, that’s dangerous…”

“Not for me,” she answered without a beat. “I hate lying to Khan, I do. But I can’t let him do to them what he did to Hans and would have done to Kati. Khan thinks unity is best, but if he’s forcing everyone to stay together through terror, it’ll blow up under him. I’m afraid of what they could do to him when they’ve had enough.”

“Maybe you shouldn’t get involved.”

“I am involved!” She caught herself from raising her voice, a deep breath taken in as she contained the need to scream or cry. “Whether or not they ever accept me, they are my family now. I won’t be passive here, Carol. All they see me as is some inferior dead weight, a weak link in their chain. Maybe genetically, yeah I am. But I’m not useless. If there’s one thing I’ve never lost from my learning at the Academy it’s that you try to save lives where you can. When you see the right thing to do, you don’t turn your back. Even if Khan ends up hating me, finally writing me off for good, at least I’ll know that I didn’t stand by and let his anger get the better of him and do something he might regret.”

Carol’s face was hard set as she looked from Marla to the children, who continued to giggle and play in the other room. She couldn’t tell what the blonde was thinking, if she was just utterly disgusted with Marla.

After a long silence, Carol finally sighed and looked to her. “How can I help?”

Marla stared. “What?”

“I want to help,” Carol said with more confidence. “I’ll be honest… I would feel safer if these people were as far away from here as possible, and if helping them escape Khan’s wrath is the way to do it then I want to help.”

Marla was shaking her head. “No… No, Carol, I couldn’t ask you to get involved. You have a career and a son to worry about!”

“That’s exactly my reason for wanting to help,” Carol was leaning forward now. “What can I do?”

 

* * *

  
Five hours and thirteen minutes ago they received their orders from Rear-Admiral Cartwright and now the away team was latched onto the side of a Klingon outpost, magnetic grips fastening them to the structure and preventing them from floating into nothing. They had taken the shuttlecraft from the _Enterprise_ as far as it could safely take them, then launched themselves in environmental suits via thrusters. Flying the shuttlecraft was Sulu, because Jim trusted his piloting skills more than anyone else’s in this delicate mission, and he waited patiently for them at the rendezvous point.

The away team of four was color coded by the different operations. Spock’s environmental suit was lined with the science blue—Khan, Rodriguez, and Gelya in red. Rodriguez had proven himself the most savvy when it came to 23rd century technology and Gelya was the most physically capable with her apparent background of fighting (at least these were the explanations that Khan provided for his choice in away team members).

The transmitter itself was much smaller than Spock had anticipated. It was no larger than one of their helmets and easily carried along in the space jump from the shuttlecraft to the outpost. Rodriguez held onto the transmitter while Spock and Khan crawled along the outer hull of the outpost, tricorders whirring as they tried to detect the best access point for the incoming and outgoing Klingon frequencies.

“There,” Khan’s voice filtered through the communicator in his helmet. He turned off his tricorder and left it at his side where it was strapped close to his suit. “There is a panel here as well that will conceal the transmitter should they do a visual inspection. I will install it. You, Mr. Spock, will calibrate it.”

The Vulcan’s pride bristled at being ordered by the augment. But they were a team now, and to argue would have been for argument’s sake and interfered with their efficiency. Also, Spock knew with some modesty that he was the best fit for the job being done right.

He hovered close, looking from where Khan worked, to Gelya, whose eyes were looking away from the outpost, no doubt focused on her display’s sensor readings to keep an eye out for patrol ships that might come their way. Rodriguez, meanwhile, carried the transmitter while the others worked. He was paying attention, keeping as close as was required.

But Spock noticed something odd.

With the lights in their helmets, it was easy to see Rodriguez’s face. He wasn’t looking at Spock, the outpost, or even Khan’s hands where he was working. His eyes were fixed on Khan himself. He was sweating in a suit that maintained a comfortable body temperature, his nostrils flaring and his eyes unblinking.

Just as Spock thought he detected something was amiss, Rodriguez’s hand moved and something flashed on Khan’s back where his oxygen unit was placed. The impact thrust Khan forward, smashing him into the outer hull of the outpost. Rodriguez held tight onto the structure, his leg kicking Khan hard towards the openness of space, the escaping oxygen a powerful thruster to launch him outward.

It all happened so quickly, it was pure reflex that had Spock reach out and catch Khan by the wrist before he drifted too far to be easily recovered. Khan knew as quickly as Spock did what was happening, and though he was losing oxygen quickly, he took advantage of the escaping air. Pulling on Spock’s arm that held him, Khan used the thrust of his damaged pack the propel himself at Rodriguez.

They collided together and against the outpost. In the process, Rodriguez had let go of the transmitter—which would end their entire mission if the Klingons found it adrift in the Neutral Zone. The weightlessness of space did little to slow their deadly movements, each man groping and tearing and pounding at the other in a savage attempt at overpowering the other, their growls and gasps cacophonous in the communicator.

“Excellency!” Gelya called to her leader and fired her thrusters to charge herself into the brawl that occurred between Khan and Rodriguez.

If they kept fighting, there was a risk of the Klingons being alerted, and Khan’s pack was continuing to lose air. In the chaos of the fight, the Vulcan clung to his logic. They had priorities.

Kicking off the outpost, he made a straight line for the transmitter that spun away from them. Grabbing a firm hold of its metal casing, he spun, firing multiple thrusters around his suit in order to redirect himself. From the distance, he saw a flash of a phaser—someone had come armed against all orders. The weapon fired twice, once into space, the other directly at Spock. A blue light burned his retina—then nothing.

 

* * *

  
  
Kirk fidgeted in the captain’s chair as they watched the progress of the away team on the viewscreen. He made sure to put Sulu in the pilot’s seat of the shuttle, since he knew no better helmsman, but Kirk himself resigned to stay where he was supposed to on the ship. God, he hated it.

They deployed without trouble and managed to reach the outpost undetected. Khan and Spock were working together smoothly, much to Jim’s relief, and they had begun to install the transmitter.

Suddenly it all went wrong.

They couldn’t actually see what what happening at this distance, all they could follow were the blips on the viewscreen and listen to the shared transmissions of the away team. It sounded like a struggle. On Khan’s stats, his environmental suit was damaged and losing air fast. Then Spock’s vitals were shocked and he was unconscious. Someone stunned him with a phaser when there should not have been phasers to begin with.

“Spock! Khan!” Jim was shouting through the communicator. “What the hell is happening?”

Suddenly, Rodriguez’s vitals flat-lined. Khan’s voice came hoarsely through.

“ _Rodriguez attempted to kill me!_ ” He spat viciously, though breathlessly. “ _Mr. Spock is alive but drifting_ _…I can catch him…_ ”

“Khan, you’re running out of air,” Jim warned, but his eyes were glued on Spock’s stats.

“ _Sir, wait, I can_ _’t carry you both back if you pass out!_ ” Gelya sounded alarmed but remarkably in control.

“ _I_ _’ve got him. Take him, Gelya… The Transmitter must be calibrated and activated…_ ”

“Sir,” Lieutenant 0718 worked at his station. “The Klingons will have detected the energy from the phaser fire.”

“Khan, get back to the shuttle, never mind the transmitter, we have more.” Jim gave the order firmly, ignoring the panicked palpitation of his heart as he stared at Spock’s stats.

“ _Nearly finished_ _…_ ” Khan grunted heavily.

“Khan!”

“ _Transmitter activated! Gelya_ _… take Rodriguez. I will take Mr. Spock…_ ”

The blips began to move to rendezvous back with the shuttle. Spock’s vitals were steady, since he was merely stunned, but Khan’s were dropping fast. Any normal person would have passed out or stopped breathing at this point, but his superior physiology kept him moving without sufficient oxygen.

They reached the shuttle.

“ _Away team back on the shuttle!_ ” Sulu announced rapidly. “ _Returning to the_ Enterprise!”

Jim hit the intercom for a ship-wide announcement. “Hangar deck, stand by for returning shuttle. Medical personnel report to the hangar and be prepared to receive three casualties!”

Three out of four. That was not a wholly successful mission.

“Sulu, how’s Spock?”

“ _He_ _’s alive, sir. Just stunned._ ”

“What about Rodriguez?”

“ _Dead,_ ” Gelya was speaking this time. “ _Khan switched the phaser to kill and fired on him point blank. He had no other choice, Captain_ _…_ ”

“That will be decided later in the inquiry,” Jim snapped. “And Khan?”

“ _Unconscious,_ ” Gelya’s normally strong voice was drenched with concern. “ _He collapsed as soon as we got on the shuttle_ _…”_

“Helm, get ready to warp at our last heading. As soon as the shuttle is cleared get us out of here.”

“Yes, sir,” Mr. Leslie began to punch in the commands.

Their first covert away mission and everything went wrong. But Spock, thank god, was still alive and coming home.


	37. Chapter 37

The sensation was immediately unpleasant when consciousness began to resurface for Spock. His nervous system vibrated painfully from the shock it received, though he was aware that it was gradually dissipating along with the pressure behind his eyes. The beeping he heard was instantly recognized as the specific pattern of electronics to be found in the med bay, which was the only logical conclusion when considering how he felt. Why he was in the med bay, however, was blurry at best.

“…be modest all you like, you went above and beyond…”

That was Jim’s voice. It sounded distant. Spock cracked open his pained eyes and could make out the gold outline of his captain standing a few feet away. His back was to Spock as he was facing a neighboring bio bed.

“I owe you a lot for what you did, Khan…”

“Perhaps collecting debts from me is unwise,” Khan’s sonorous voice replied and it almost sounded like he might have been smiling.

“I owe you a thanks at least,” Jim chuckled. “If there was any doubt whose side you were on, there isn’t now.”

Disagreement bubbled up in the Vulcan, but he swallowed it down and continued to eavesdrop instead.

“If only either of us had ever been graced with so certain a thing as ‘sides’…” said Khan.

“We at least have the certainty that Rodriguez was acting alone and left you no choice but to shoot him,” Jim explained.

“That was never a question on my part,” Khan replied condescendingly. “May I go now, Doctor?”

“I’d rather keep an eye on you awhile longer…” McCoy’s grumbling voice chimed in, and Spock hadn’t even known the CMO was present up until then. “But, I can’t argue with the bio-readings. You can go. Though I highly recommend some bed rest, for what that’s worth to you…”

“Who am I to disobey my doctor’s orders?” Khan snarked and through the crack of his eye lids Spock could see the lean figure rise from the bio bed. It reminded him of a Terran cobra standing up from its coil.

“I’ll follow up with you on the report of the mission,” Jim said to Khan.

The augment acknowledged then swept out of the med-bay with careful urgency. Spock finally chose to open his eyes and sat up in his bed. The movement drew attention and both Jim and Bones turned his way in unison.

“Spock!”

Jim smiled brightly and started briskly towards him, Dr. McCoy smirking beside him as they approached and stood on one side of the bed.

“If I asked you how you’re feelin’, you gonna tell me?” McCoy arched a single brow and readied his PADD to record Spock’s answer.

Spock mirrored the quirked brow and took in a deep breath through his nose. “I imagine it would satisfy you to hear that I am feeling a general bodily ache and slight nausea.”

“So, the usual post-phaser-stun symptoms…” McCoy nodded. “If you like I can give you a little something to get the edge off your migraine.”

“Not necessary, Doctor,” Spock resisted the urge to slump in his bed. “I know numerous sufficient Vulcan techniques for coping with pain in all variations.”

“’Course you do… Although sometimes I suspect you’re full of it and just don’t want to admit that even you need a classic painkiller once in awhile.”

Jim silently watched the exchange, a warm smile on his face as he looked between the two.

Spock let his quirked brow drop into a slight frown. “Doctor, your constant need to administer drugs is the very reason that we Vulcans have learned to cope with pain without dependency on chemicals. They are a last resort at best and the eagerness in which you use them is frankly appalling in its primitiveness.”

There was something satisfying in the way that McCoy’s eyes bugged out over the PADD as he listened to every word out of the Vulcan. “Now I’m convinced that Khan saved your life as a cruel joke.”

Arguing with McCoy was always a much needed diversion from other unpleasant things that were on hand, but the mention of Khan brought the First Officer back to the current situation. He looked to Jim, who seemed content to listen quietly to his two friends.

“Captain…” Spock began more seriously. “While I do not agree that Khan saving my life was a ‘cruel joke’ I am inclined to believe that it did have ulterior motives. You told him that it removed any doubt of whose side he is on. It does not.”

“I should have known you were eavesdropping,” Jim still smiled a little.

“Jim, don’t let Khan win your trust that easily.”

“He hasn’t.”

Even McCoy looked at Jim with confusion. “You just told him that you didn’t doubt him anymore…” the doctor pointed out.

Jim glanced between them. “I know what I said. I’m not a Vulcan, I can admit to lying.”

The semantic choice of ‘admit’ to lying made Spock frown at the implication. “Captain, I do not—”

Kirk and McCoy laughed.

“If you say you can’t lie, Spock, you’re lyin’,” McCoy said through his chuckles.

Spock felt embarrassment surge up in him and he cleared his throat. “You were talking about Khan.”

“Don’t worry about him,” said Jim. “The only thing I really meant when I was talking to him was that I am glad he saved your life. I won’t get very far without you. After Marla told me herself to watch out for Khan, that’s what I’m going to do. Thing is though… I think there is a part of Khan that saved your life because it was the right thing to do. It happened too quickly to all be calculation. I’d like to hold out at least a little hope that when it comes down to it, Khan can do the right thing. There’s a reason he was described as the most well-loved dictator.”

Spock stared at is captain with no small degree of appall. “As a point of reference to a man’s character, looking at his history as a despot is illogical.”

“When it comes to humans it speaks volumes though…”

“That I can agree with.”

The bosun whistle wailed through the med bay and Jim’s eyes turned upward to the ceiling to listen to the impending intercom.

“ _Bridge to the captain._ ” Sulu’s voice came through.

Jim excused himself to reach for the wall intercom. “Kirk here.”

“ _Captain we are approaching the next target point._ ”

Spock knew that meant they were already at the next Klingon outpost of the Neutral Zone. The obligation of duty had the Vulcan swinging his legs to the side of the bed.

“Now wait a minute,” McCoy’s hand touched his shoulder. “Where d’you think you’re goin’?”

“I am needed on the bridge.”

“I don’t remember excusing you.”

“I am feeling perfectly functional and you have already excused Khan from the _comfort_ of your med bay.”

“Don’t get sassy with me, you pointy-eared hobgoblin! You’re excused when I say you’re excused!”

Jim contained a smile. “Bones, is he healthy enough for duty or not?”

“Well, close observation has never hurt anybody—”

“To the best of your knowledge, Doctor.”

A vein jumped in McCoy’s temple,  but before he could spew his rage, Jim stepped forward.

“If Spock is feeling well enough for duty, then I could always use him on the bridge.”

The captain was on Spock’s side and the Vulcan couldn’t help the encouragement as he looked victoriously to McCoy.

“Fine. Spock you’re cleared for duty. Have fun using Vulcan coping techniques for that killer headache.”

He tapped his stylus a few times on the PADD, threw it under his arm, then stalked out of the room. Jim, meanwhile, had begun to chuckle. He stood back, allowing Spock to get to his feet. His uniform was folded nearby and he pulled the blue material over his head, tugging out the wrinkles.

“Shall we?” said Jim.

Spock compliantly followed, but the action of walking stirred up the migraine behind his eyes and he refrained from wincing or grunting. He appreciated it when Jim would pretend nothing was wrong, that Spock wasn’t in fact fallible, but he caught every single side glance or lingering eye from Jim, who was no doubt looking for any indication to send him to his quarters for rest.

When their turbolift arrived at the bridge, Chekov’s Russian vocals rang out.

“Keptin on ze bridge!”

As Kirk stepped off the elevator, another body appeared and obstructed Spock from doing the same. Uhura had practically flown into the turbo lift, her eyes on fire with worry. He caught Jim’s eye for a moment, a subtle nod telling Spock that it was okay to take a moment with her.

Spock stepped back onto the turbolift and Uhura joined him. Only when the door closed and they had the privacy did she throw her arms around him and squeeze so tightly that he was suddenly aware of the general bruised feeling under his skin from the phaser stun.

“Thank God, you’re okay!” her words muffled into his chest.

He knew better than to argue the assistance of any deity and found it sufficient to return the embrace. It was comforting.

“No harm was done,” he reassured.

She sighed heavily and pulled away, her chin lifting to look him in the eye. “I was afraid. I’m always afraid every time something happens to you, that I might lose you. But this time... It scared me in a different way. I thought I’d lose you before we could figure out whatever it was we needed to figure out.”

With the barrage of events occurring lately, they had successfully dodged an intimate conversation that every couple is doomed to have sooner or later about any subject. The kind of conversation that elicits emotions.

“What do you believe needs to be figured out, Nyota?” Spock asked quietly, directly.

“Please don’t make me talk about it right now, not when you almost died…”

“We are nearly at our next mission. It is only logical that we avoid another instance of regret by solving the issue this very moment.”

“Later…” she frowned, her eyes averted.

“We have been saying later for weeks and almost certainly didn’t have another ‘later’. Nyota, we can no longer prolong the inevitable.” There was a distinct pang in Spock’s chest, one that he knew was not a result of a phaser blast. “If your romantic relationship with me is only causing you pain, then I do not wish to be the cause for that—”

The turbo lift door opened and Mr. Leslie stared at them confoundedly in his red shirt. He murmured an apology, turned left towards a wall, then right to walk the other way, no doubt to find a different lift. Nyota punched the button, closing the doors and stopping the lift. Her eyes were glimmering with tears, her jaw tight.

“What are you saying, Spock?”

Guilt was filling him. It felt acidic. “By your understandable reaction, I suspect you already know what I am saying…”

She swallowed hard. She didn’t seem surprised. But the hurt was unavoidable.

“I know…” she quietly agreed. “I know…” the repeated words seemed to have different meaning. Calmer this time, she touched the button to carry the turbolift back for the bridge. As it began to ascend, she gently took his face into her hands and pulled him down to meet her as she lifted up on her toes. Spock’s eyes closed when lips touched, a long, but chaste kiss shared. It was a goodbye.

When the doors opened to the bridge, she walked off with confidence and strength and he could not help following her with his gaze, admiring the woman who deserved so much more than him. She deserved to be loved in a way that Spock could not give, no matter how deeply he wished or tried.


	38. Chapter 38

“Personal log, Stardate 2267.11. Five months of skirting the Neutral Zone and keeping almost complete radio silence. Finally we’re on our way to Starbase 22 for layover and much needed R&R before we continue in this top secret mission. Of all the usual complications and close calls, none of them were nearly as bad as the very first one on the very first mission. We nearly lost Spock and Khan all at once because of the augment, Rodriguez. It should have been me in Spock’s place, but that stubborn Vulcan Logic’d his way into the away team.

“Khan knew that Rodriguez guy had it out for him, so why bring him on the mission? Out of all 14 of his people to choose from? Khan was furious after it happened, so maybe he didn’t see it coming… Since then, though, he’s since been extremely calm—which worries me even more. There are times when his behavior takes me back to the days when he was just the criminal John Harrison and I was a hot head with a vendetta.

“There are other times when he actually feels like… a friend. Throughout this mission, he’s always acted in the interest of the ship and has been good company—when he wasn’t being too condescending or throwing his weight around. He’s become a crucial member on this ship, his engineering skills are always giving Scotty a run for his money. (Hope he never hears me say that.) And in the few away missions that he and I had been on together, he always had my back.

“The rest of his crew feels like it’s seamlessly integrated into my own. There’s trust and a sense of security. I’d like to think everyone finally realizes we’re on the same team here. Khan’s people are actually respectful to command on this ship and don’t seem to be exhibiting any of the bloated pride I’ve pegged them for. Of course, Spock makes a point of reminding me of their methodical ways. They’re here without much choice and might be cooperative for their own benefit. Who knows what will happen when this mission ends in six months.

“Spock… I can’t seem to get him to stop mouthing off to Khan. Bones can call him an emotionless robot all he likes, but Spock’s the biggest smart ass I’ve ever known, human or Vulcan. The way he and Khan find ways to insult each other on a daily basis makes his friction with Bones look like a warm hug. I’ve seen Spock and Khan at their worst—when all their buttons are pushed—and if that fuse gets lit at the wrong time I worry that it could endanger this whole ship.

“It’s rare that I find myself worrying about Spock. I trust him with my life. He’s saved it more times than I can count and I’d gladly give it to save his. And Uhura was always there to look out for him when his human side got in the way. I’m pretty sure he’s scared of her. But lately, maybe the past four months or so—longer for all I know—they don’t seem to be talking much. I’ve avoided prying, since that hasn’t always gone over well for me in the past.  If they’ve broken up, or if they’re going to, Spock might need a friend whether or not he’ll admit it. I’ll beat him at chess, that would cheer him up…”

_Beep beep._

A call was coming in and Jim shut off the recorder. He hit the switch.

“Kirk here.”

“ _Captain_ _…_ ” Speaking of Uhura. “ _I have Rear-Admiral Cartwright_ _…_ ”

“Thanks, Lieutenant. Patch him through.”

“ _Jim._ ” It was only on audio and Cartwright’s voice wasn’t as pleasing as the former.

“Long time, Admiral,” Jim exercised the requisite politeness. “I sent the report. I hope it reached you safe and sound.”

“ _It did. Very thorough, by the way._ ”

“As much as I’d like to take credit for that, you can thank Mr. Spock.”

“ _I will make certain that Mr. Spock, and you as well, get all the deserved commendations._ ”

“Does that include Khan and his people?”

“ _They_ _’re not Starfleet_.”

“They’ve been wearing the uniforms for half a year now and have been following every order given to them. They may not have gone to the Academy but they were given an official crash course, if I’m not mistaken.”

“ _Are you saying they should get promoted?_ ” Cartwright openly laughed.

“I just think they’ve earned some kind of recognition, sir. I’ve seen them risk their lives first hand.”

“ _Between you and me, Jim, this is more of a penalty than an opportunity of reward for them. They_ _’re still classified as war criminals and will continue to be such until their term of service is over. Then we’ll be done with them once and for all._ ”

Something clawed in Jim’s gut. “You’re referring to the amnesty that you offered, right, Admiral?” Maybe he could have been more subtle in his suspicion of his superior officer.

“ _What else would I be referring to?_ ”

“Nothing, sir.”

“ _Now, the reason I called_ _… Since we began receiving the data through the transmitters you have been planting, we’ve gotten some phenomenal intel. There is one thing, however, that is more disturbing than anything. The Klingons have something big underway. I am currently putting together a briefing about it and will be contacting you again soon to disclose it. I can only say that it will affect how your missions are directed from here on._ ”

“Yes, sir.” That was not comforting news.

“ _Good hearing you again, Jim._ ”

Cartwright ended the transmission and Jim found himself rubbing at the tension in his temple. He wanted to shake this feeling of having a choke collar around his neck, but then again that sensation was always vaguely present during his time in Starfleet. Following someone else’s orders never did feel like it was in his nature.

Loneliness crawled into him like a slow freeze, but it was quickly replaced by the warmth of hope. He didn’t have to simply endure loneliness, as he had most of his career and the past few months of radio silence. The _Enterprise_ was permitted to make personal calls, temporarily, and he had been dying to call Carol and David. He finally had someone (besides his mother) to call. From his own console he made a visual call to Regula I.

Carol appeared on the screen, her gold hair down and framing her square jaw, her face free of makeup and looking more beautiful than ever. It reminded him of the days when she would wake up in his bed and a dull ache accompanied the joy of seeing her, even though she had clearly just rolled out of bed to answer the call.

“ _Jim?_ ” she said groggily, squinting at him through the screen.

“I didn’t mean to wake you up…” he couldn’t stop smiling, even though he felt genuinely guilty. “We’re coming back for layover and can make personal calls, and…”

A smile gradually replaced her sleepiness and she inched nearer to the camera. “ _No! It_ _’s fine, I just… I didn’t know when I would see you again._ ”

“I’m sorry. I know how hard it is for you to wait on someone… God, it’s good to talk to you again, Carol.”

A tiny voice sounded off screen and Carol looked away. She called David over and the child’s face popped eagerly onto the screen as he clamored into her lap.

“ _Daddy!_ ”

Jim never could get used to hearing that and he grinned brightly at the screen. “Hey, buddy! Almost didn’t recognize you, you’ve grown!”

“ _I can reach the Number 2 replicator now!_ ” the boy said proudly.

“ _After I told him not to_ _…_ ” Carol screwed her face a little in disapproval, but she wrapped her arms warmly around David.

Jim chuckled. Disobedience was something David easily inherited from both parents, which meant he might have gotten a double dosage in his DNA.

“ _I_ _’ve been seeing a lot of Marla,_ ” said Carol. “ _We_ _’re reconnecting again, I think. We were fairly close when we first met._ ”

“Really?” That was surprising, considering how cold Carol had become to her in light of their interactions with Khan over the years. “How is she doing?”

“ _Really well, actually. She tells me that the baby has its father_ _’s augmented chromosomes, which are keeping her in peak physical health. It’s astounding._ ”

“And the rest of Khan’s people?”

Carol thought for a moment and lightly shrugged, adjusting as David (who was still in his pajamas) began to slump against her, eyes getting heavy as the grown-ups conversed.

“ _I haven_ _’t noticed anything. But Marla seems to think they’re going to do something drastic. I can’t get her to share much, but I’m beginning to think she doesn’t know anything. They don’t include her at all. I’m her only friend right now…_ ” She trailed off, but he could tell she still had more to say. He remembered the way that she would move her mouth, as if about to speak, before any sounds actually came out. “ _And_ _… What about Khan? Are you safe?_ ”

“Of course.”

“ _No one_ _’s been hurt?_ ’

“Carol, you know I can’t talk about it…” Even though he couldn’t say anything, he had no desire to tell her about Rodriguez and Spock’s near-death.

“ _Right. Sorry. I can_ _’t help worrying._ ”

“Everything is fine, I promise. We’ll be home before you know it.”

“ _Not soon enough_ ,” she smiled.

“Since I can’t say much about what’s going on at my end, tell me what you’ve been up to. Tell me everything.” He folded his arms, getting comfortable and ready to hear anything and everything.

“ _Well_ _… David’s gotten quite good at taking things apart. So I’ve been firmly teaching him how to put them back together._ ”

They laughed together. From there, she told him one tale after another about their son, about her own side projects, about gossip in the science station. They even reminisced a bit about the old days, good and bad. For a while, Jim forgot just how far away they were from each other.

 

* * *

  
  
Marla sat on the floor, two tiny hands holding onto her fingers to balance on two fat legs. Nanette was beginning to walk. She mastered crawling a couple months ago and was already putting one foot in front of the other. It was remarkable and Marla was the only one to have this moment of excitement.

“Look at you!” she chuckled and the baby giggled back triumphantly. “Looks like I should get you some running shoes already!”

Nanette wobbled, her sausage legs and dimpled knees nearly buckling under her. But she leaned on Marla’s supportive hands and managed to stay upright.

 _Beep beep_.

Someone was calling. She eased Nanette to sit on her rear that was nicely cushioned by her diaper, and she left the baby on the floor with her toys. With some effort, she pushed herself up to her feet one hand on the swell of her belly, the other outward to balance herself a bit. Once she was upright, she was able to walk easily to the console where she hit the button to stop the incessant beeping, expecting to see Carol’s face.

Khan appeared.

She was momentarily dumbstruck to meet his gaze through the screen.

“Khan!” she breathed.

A warm smile spread onto his face, a sight so rarely seen that she beamed back at him, her legs nearly giving out under her as she carefully eased herself into the chair in front of the monitor. Her eyes were already stinging with tears of joy, and the last thing she wanted him to see was her hair-trigger emotional state.

“ _Marla_ ,” he purred her name. “ _How I_ _’ve missed you…_ ”

He looked well, healthy and not worse for wear since the last time she had seen him 5 months ago. The red operations uniform that he was donning when they parted had been abandoned, and he simply wore the snug black undershirt.

“I still miss you,” she admitted shamelessly. “I don’t think I could take seven more months of this…”

The warmth in his face darkened, brows furrowing as he inched nearer to the screen. “ _Is something wrong? Are you being treated badly?_ ”

Only with his sudden concern did she realize how her statement sounded and she laughed, shaking her head. “No, no... Nothing’s wrong. I’m doing great, actually. Carol Marcus has been a good friend to me and… Well…”

She was grinning again as she pushed herself back to her feet. She stepped back, far enough from the monitor for him to see her body in full. She turned to show the profile of her full belly, how laughably round she had become since he had last seen her.

“The baby is at least 2 months further along than what’s ordinary, but Ferrante promises we are both healthy as can be!”

She had been waiting so long to update her husband, to tell him all the million little things that came with being pregnant with their child—the sensations, the emotions—but that was all she could think to say.

All the lines of his sharp face seemed to have smoothed away as he beheld her, his lips parted, those sharp eyes gaping. The great tyrant looked astonished, at a loss for words. She felt herself blushing self consciously as he looked at her altered body and she moved to gather Nanette into her arms. She returned to her seat in front of the monitor, the infant babbling on her thigh.

“See how big she’s gotten, too? I think she’ll be talking any day now…”

A faint smile touched his lips as he glanced to the little girl, his gaze on Marla again. “ _You_ _’re beautiful, my love. A welcome sight to weary eyes._ ”

She almost wanted to roll her eyes at his poetry, but she rather missed it. Also, with all the added weight, it chased away the fears that her husband wouldn’t like looking at her this way.

“ _Do you know what it is?_ ” he asked suddenly. “ _Our baby?_ ”

Yet another detail she had nearly forgotten to tell. There was too much. Marla smiled brightly and nodded, leaving the augment hanging for a moment in the tension. She watched him, calculating and waiting until the second just before he was about to demand that she speak.

“It’s a boy,” she said simply.

She could see the pride fill him, his chest swelling as he smiled with satisfaction. Khan was old fashioned. Having a male heir meant something more than a female, but Marla suspected her husband would have been proud either way.

“ _A son_ _…_ ” he said it as though verbalizing it made it more real. “ _Have you chosen a name?_ ”

She shook her head. “Not yet. Not without you.”

He still smiled at her, simply staring and saying so very little. Marla didn’t know where to start after so many months of silent separation. She had to access the idle chat function of her brain.

“The mission,” she finally spoke through the disorientation of seeing him. “How is the mission going?”

The truth was, she didn’t even know what the mission was or what it entailed. All she knew for certain was that it was inevitably dangerous.

“ _Exceedingly well_ ,” he said simply, but the joy was fading fast from his features. “ _All except for the very first assignment. Rodriguez is dead._ ”

Her stomach dropped into ice so quickly that she felt instantly nauseated. “What?”

“ _The fool was too eager to have me gone and attempted to kill me on an away mission. He might have succeeded had Mr. Spock not interfered. I detest the Vulcan, but he did save my life._ ”

Marla was having difficulty understanding what she was hearing. “He’s dead? What happened? I mean, how did he try to kill you?”

“ _It isn_ _’t important… And I am under orders to not discuss particulars._ ”

That was all the reminder she needed that their conversation was probably being monitored. She still felt sick.

“What do I tell Otto?” her voice trembled as she thought about the man’s loss, how he will have to endure the worst case scenario of losing his partner.

“ _Do not speak to Otto_ ,” Khan said gently, but clearly. “ _Joaquin will be the messenger, it_ _’s not your responsibility._ ”

“And… What about the others? Is Gelya alright?”

“ _She is well_ ,” he reassured.

Khan was calm. So calm, in fact, that it took her a moment to realize how unusual that was for him. Rodriguez had apparently attempted to assassinate him and here her husband spoke about it casually. Whatever rage was ignited at the expected betrayal must have cooled months ago. Which meant that Khan had progressed to the next stage of calculation. She suddenly feared for the rest of the dissenters against Khan.

“I’m sure Rodriguez was acting alone,” she tried to say it as if it was a passing thought.

“ _He was alone, but he was acting with the encouragement of all the others._ ”

“Please don’t hold them accountable for what he did, they didn’t know.”

She had no clue whether or not they knew Rodriguez would try to kill Khan. But she had seen guilt by association cause enough unnecessary pain and suffering. After all, her association with Khan had only ever brought her grief from other people.

She could tell by the slow blink of his eyes that he was not even considering her words. “ _They will get what_ _’s coming to them._ ”

A shudder ran through her, a desperate argument ready to claw out of her throat. It wouldn’t make a difference, though. She had tried begging him to spare them before and he could not be persuaded in this instance.

So she agreed with silence, averting her gaze as she pretended to look at Nanette, whose tiny puffy hands were reaching for the buttons of the console in front of them.

He glanced off screen, his brow furrowing. “ _I must go_ _… We have only a little time for personal calls…_ ”

Panic threatened to fill her. “How long until I can talk to you again?” Her voice trembled.

“ _I can promise nothing,_ ” an almost pained look touched his face. “ _If all goes accordingly, I will be home before the year is over. Then we will all finally be free._ ”

“Please, another minute…” She wasn’t ready to say goodbye again.

“ _Be strong, my love. Our separation is temporary._ ”

“But we’re missing out on so much by being apart…” She knew he wouldn’t be here when their son was born. He would miss it and it killed her.

“ _Sacrifices must be made_ _…_ ” his voice dropped at the unwanted truth. “ _I will call you again, Marla. The next time will not be so painful._ ”

His promise was a grand one, and yet it comforted her. The next time he calls could be to tell her he is coming to get her, and they could go home (wherever that would be). She forced a smile and nodded, but could not stop the tears.

“Before you go, our son needs a name!”

He smiled at the honor. “Dante Aurelius.”

“Dante…” she repeated the name, imagining herself saying it a thousand times a day for years to come and she smiled. “I love it… And I love you too….” Her throat was tightening and speaking was becoming difficult. “Come home soon…Goodbye.” She wanted to prove to him that she was strong by being the first to say the word.

“ _I shall. Goodbye_.”

The transmission ended.

 

* * *

  
  
“ _Rodriguez is dead. You will have to tell Otto._ ”

“Yes, Excellency,” Joaquin agreed without hesitation. It was inspiring to see his prince again after such long silence.

“ _What progress have you made?_ ” Khan was direct.

“I am sure that I’ve discovered all of the Dissenters that are here on Regula I and have made a list.”

He expected outrage, but there was only a wrinkle at the side of Khan’s nose of quiet disdain.

“ _I too have identified the traitors on my end. There are three of them here. When the day arrives, they will all be eradicated at once. There will be no room for the cancer to continue to grow. When the time comes you will have your orders._ ”

 “Yes, Lord Khan…” Joaquin knew it needed to be done. It was almost a third of their population, but they were dangerous to the rest. They could not allow any more division amongst themselves.

“ _On a more personal note, Joaquin_ _…_ ” Khan’s voice lost its sharp edge. “ _Thank you, my friend, for looking out for my wife. I have never known a stronger women, but I fear for her being so outnumbered by our own_ _…_ ”

Khan’s love for his wife was admirable, which made it all the more painful for Joaquin to consider telling him what he had seen. That he had witnessed Marla speaking to Otto and heard rumors of her intention to assist the dissenters behind her husband’s back.

But these were rumors. Joaquin didn’t dare condemn her without proof, or break Khan’s heart without proof. And if it was true, Joaquin hoped to spare them both by showing Marla reason without her husband ever having to know. This was one secret he knew he needed to keep from his prince.

“It’s an honor and a pleasure, Excellency,” he replied with a respectful bow. “Joachim and I have nothing but love for you both.”

He was sure he saw the need to smile on his prince’s face, but his leader contained it. They soon signed off and Joaquin pressed the heels of his hands into his eyes.

He had to tell Otto that his lover was dead.

He had to keep Marla from betraying her husband.

 


	39. Chapter 39

  
Otto called her.

That was the last thing that Marla had expected after so many months of being ignored by him. But then again, Rodriguez was dead and that had to be enough to stir anyone into action. He asked her to meet with him at a specific location in the space station, one that was public but discreet.

She left Nanette with Carol, who she knew was off duty and the only person she trusted with the child. If this was some kind of trap (for all she knew) she wasn’t going to walk into it with the coveted child. There was little she could do, however, about the one still in her belly.

She arrived early with the intention of being there first, but she found that he was already there. He sat at the table, his fingers on his forehead, his hands hiding his face. His body language was enough to tell his grief though. He had heard about Rodriguez.

With a heavy heart, she boldly stepped closer, putting on a receptive, but not too friendly, air.

“Otto,” she said softly.

When he lifted his face, her heart wilted. His usually handsome face was screwed with anguish, wet with tears, red from weeping. It was instinct that pulled her closer to him, putting herself in the chair across from him and laying her hand on the table’s top between them, ready to offer it.

“He killed him,” he choked out. “He killed him and you know he did!”

“I only just found out myself…” she said honestly. “I’m so sorry…”

She was surprised at how sorry she was, considering these men would have been glad to see her die. But she couldn’t harden her heart to Otto’s clear devastation.

“I am so tired of it,” his voice trembled and he sniffed hard, his hands closing into fists in front of him on the table. “All this death, all the time. It never stops. No matter how many promises have been made during the wars and after that this was going to end it all. I can’t stand it any longer!”

His rage frightened her. Otto had always been a follower, he was never the decision maker or the one to take any initiative. By default, he would now have the leadership role that had fallen onto Kati after Hans, and onto Rodriguez after Kati.

“What are you going to do?” she asked out right.

“What I have to.” There was sudden calm in him, though his voice was not completely recovered yet. “It is my duty to them to make sure we get away before your husband kills us all.”

“Khan isn’t going to kill you all…” she tried to defend him in his absence with something she herself didn’t completely believe.

“You don’t know him. You’re only his wife. You’re not one of us.” He laughed bitterly. “You never saw him in the throes of the Eugenics Wars, spilling blood in rivers, demanding obedience from millions of people. I used to think he was the answer to the world’s troubles, but the world we ruled is gone. He’s nothing but a mad man now. He will kill us all because we won’t follow him anymore. We’re done.”

Marla could only stare at him, terrified to make a reply in agreement or in argument. She knew the world was changed and that Khan was no longer that war general. She knew the depths of his soul better than anyone. She knew he had mercy in him.

“Did you mean what you said…?” he suddenly whispered, leaning forward over the table to meet her gaze with his own eyes that were glassy from tears.  “When you said you wanted to help?”

She felt like her words were coming back to harm her, and yet…

“I did,” she answered confidently. “I don’t want anyone else getting hurt either, Otto…”

“Aren’t you afraid of him?” Otto stared at her.

“Who isn’t?” she forced a small smile. “But I have to do what’s right. Even if he hates me for it. Even if he leaves me.”

Her voice almost failed her at the end, as the possibility of being abandoned by him—again—seemed suddenly like a real possibility.

Otto seemed encouraged, even though doubt still prevailed. “We have been formulating a plan, but to make it work, we could use your knowledge of computers in this century. Our skills are passable, but yours are advanced…”

And from there he began to tell her their plan, a great escape to evade Khan like refugees and disappear into the vastness of space. Khan was going to be furious, she knew. But for them to stay would only perpetuate more conflict.

 

* * *

 

As soon as the _USS Enterprise_ docked at Starbase 22, Jim received word that Cartwright would arrive in couple of days. The _Enterprise_ was to stay put until then.

A Rear-Admiral was personally coming to speak to them. That wasn’t a good sign of what was ahead.

The days were spent as much-needed shore leave for the crew. While in spacedock, the _Enterprise_ was left with a skeleton crew while everyone else went onto the Starbase to enjoy its bars and activity centers, as well as its company of fresh faces.

Jim had inevitably bumped into some familiar faces—a few one night stands who weren’t shy about proposing a Night Two—and Jim politely evaded their company. The temptation was there, and though Carol hadn’t asked him to be faithful and neither of them made any commitments, he felt a degree of guilt at the idea of even thinking about other people. All he wanted right now was his family. Khan kept close to his own crew, remaining for the most part on the _Enterprise_ where they could not be accused of getting into too much trouble. Jim’s suggestion.

Finally, after a little over two days of waiting, Rear-Admiral Lance Cartwright arrived on the _USS Forager,_ and no sooner had his shiny shoes touched the starbase was he calling Kirk, Spock, and Khan to one of the conference rooms for a classified meeting.

Kirk ran into Spock on the turbolift and they met Khan in the corridor on the way to the room. They said little to each other beyond cordial greetings and found that Cartwright was already waiting for them.

“Gentlemen,” he said quickly. “Sit down, this is going to be a heavy discussion.”

“We have all the time in the world, sir,” Jim put on an insincere smile, still hating that Section 31 was basically monopolizing their time.

“I said this would be heavy, not long.”

The semantics immediately worried him and he knew Spock was thinking the same thing when their eyes met.

Obediently, all three men sat around the table. There were no screens, no transmitters running. The entire conference room was dimly lit and quiet, save for the low drone of the starbase that infiltrated every room. Cartwright remained standing, his fists propping on his hips.

“This meeting is in regard to your next mission. It’s technically a part of the same mission that you are committed to, but directives have changed. You’ll no longer be gathering information, you are being put into immediate action. Through all the intel we have been decoding from the transmitters that you planted in the Klingon outposts, we’ve discovered a lot of useful information. The most heavily coded and protected piece of information only just been proven… The Klingon Empire has built an armada that they’ve been hiding in Sector 67 of the Neutral Zone and it is poised to attack any day now.”

_Armada._

The word seemed to hit the room like a sonic grenade. Kirk could see Spock looking his way in his peripheral, but the captain himself didn’t divide his attention from the Rear-Admiral.

“That’s in violation of the Organian Peace Treaty,” Jim uttered slowly. He wasn’t telling anyone anything they didn’t already know, but he was disturbed that he was the first to say it. “What do you want me to do, sir? Wag a finger at them?”

“As much as certain leaders would love the excuse to officially declare war on them for the violation—and such a massive one—it might provoke them into using it. How could we know about it if we weren’t spying? If they attack us, then we would be forced to defend and or retaliate with our own armada.”

“Starfleet has no armada,” Spock pointed out.

“Publicly, no. It does not,” Cartwright tensed up, seeming conflicted about whether he should boast or apologize. Instead he cleared his throat. “Ever since a certain war criminal dropped a Dreadnought-class ship on downtown San Francisco, Starfleet decided to make the best possible use of that kind of ship based on that destroyed prototype. It worked in Section 31’s favor to have that ship made public, despite the tragedy surrounding it, because we were then able to get the rest of Starfleet on board with producing more. After all, it had been battle tested. Technologically we are still one step ahead of the Klingons, especially now that our Dreadnoughts and other classes of starships continue to improve with every model. When it comes to war, they are all much more formidable than the _Enterprise_. One day, Kirk, you may captain one of these. Or hell, lead a fleet yourself.”

Kirk’s jaw ticked at the prospect. He didn’t want to be a war general. He forced himself to stay focused on the issue at hand. “So what is it that you want us to do then, Admiral?”

“We want the _Enterprise_ to go in there and sabotage this armada, to keep it from causing the damage that it is intended to. Even if they suspect that it was the Federation who did it, they would be fools to accuse us  without proof of destroying a fleet that they weren’t supposed to have in the first place. The blow it would cause to their militia and their morale would be invaluable to us.”

“How many ships are in this armada exactly..?” Jim also feared to ask, but it was information that needed to be known.

“At least one hundred and fifty.”

“Assuming a majority of them are of the highest class of Klingons warships…” Khan finally spoke, carefully and directly. “How is it that you intend on sabotaging them out of commission?”

Cartwright smirked smugly. “You and your kind had taken over entire nations and civilizations. I hardly think stopping a few alien warships is going to be any sweat off your brow…”

Khan smirked back and Jim found that disquieting. There seemed to be a silent understanding between the two.

“This mission will of course have countless Klingon casualties,” Cartwright admitted with a sigh. “But this is war. We must always stay one step above the Klingons in terms of power and Starfleet intends to be the only one with an armada. I’m leaving the details of the intel with you gentlemen so that you can formulate your plan of attack before you clear it with me. Good luck.”

He was headed for the door, seeming in a hurry to make a next appointment. Once he was gone, Kirk met Khan’s eye.

“He is sending us to our deaths,” Khan murmured, his voice low and ominous. “Otherwise he would not divulged so many secrets to us.”

“We have a duty to fulfill.” The sentiment sounded empty when Kirk said it. “If we stop that armada before it launches it could save millions of lives in the Federation. Even millions of Klingon lives if we could dismantle it in such a way to prevent war.”

“Sabotage on that scale would be self-evident,” Spock’s eyes were on the table, distant with obvious deep thought. “The Klingons would have every reason to believe that it was Starfleet. There is no guarantee that they will not seek retribution for it. They have attacked us for less.”

“Well, if they’re going to have a reason to declare war on us, might as well take away their biggest guns…” Jim murmured with defeat.

“We can at least spare as many Klingon lives as possible,” said Khan. “It’s needless to kill them all for the sake of Section 31’s agenda. There is a way to dismantle their ships beyond repair, I will simply need time to find it.”

It was a massive relief to hear that from Khan. He knew the man wasn’t an arbitrary mass murderer, he was practical in what he did. The fact that his practicality was ethically appealing for once gave Jim a little more hope in this futile mission.

But Spock had said so very little, and Jim valued his friend’s opinion above anything else.

“Spock?”

The Vulcan canted his head to regard Jim, his expression unreadable.

“Comments?”

Spock thought, a single brow quirking. “It is as you said, Jim. Our duty. If we can fulfill it with the least amount of casualties, than I think we are responsible to accomplish that.”

They were all in agreement and the captain inwardly resigned to it while nodding resolutely. “That’s it then. I think we ought to get started on this plan as soon as possible.”

“When would you like to begin?” Khan said readily.

“Now.”


	40. Chapter 40

 

Nearly a month had passed since the _Enterprise_ deployed from its layover at Starbase 22. From the moment they launched, the crew had been hard at work fulfilling its next mission to sabotage and dismantle the secret Klingon Armada by any means necessary. The plan that Kirk, Spock, and Khan had worked out amongst themselves was a simple one. Khan was quite adept at designing weapons, so they would make something that would kill all energy capabilities on the Klingon vessels, rendering them useless.

Nyota was at the receiving end of Scotty’s complaints in having to work so closely with Khan for this particular project. Really, though, the two engineers shared skills and expertise that were a match made in heaven, whether or not either egomaniac would admit it. For weeks they designed, tested, altered, tested again and worked through formulas that occasionally ended in arguments. By arguments, of course, meaning indignant denials of how one “cannae” make such and such equation work under such and such circumstances.

In spite of everything, Nyota could work. _Because_ of everything, she _had_ to work. It was impossible to argue with Spock and his logic, she had done it for years. As time went on, she saw her own logic in the fact that the bond between him and Jim was something beyond her, something she had no right to interfere with. No, she wasn’t afraid of the Vulcan running off to marry the captain or anything, but their friendship was formed on something much more profound than her romance with him. She accepted that, and maybe she was a little relieved by it, because honestly, dating Commander Spock wasn’t exactly a teenage romance come true. Dating him required a great deal of understanding and patience, which were only two of the few things he was capable of reciprocating. The pain of insult and regret, the loss and confusion, were all the usual symptoms that every person had to learn to cope with and Nyota knew people survived broken hearts every day in every corner of the cosmos.

Sulu had the conn, calmly commanding the bored ship and signing off the PADDs that came his way while he was acting captain. Such ennui had fallen on the ship before, so it was not unusual for them to work at their different stations without uttering more than a few words here and there.

During their patrol along the Neutral Zone, the _Enterprise_ was under strict orders of radio silence unless absolutely necessary. That left the communications officer with something of a dull job. There was very little for her to transmit, if anything, but she was required to monitor all the subspace chatter. And there was a lot of it.

There was an odd noise in the mix, though. Something that stood out and sounded a bit antiquated. Sparked by the prospect of something to do, her nimble fingers flipped switches and adjusted the frequencies to narrow down the one wavelength. It was a series of beeps. It was _outgoing_.

Her first thought was that the beeps were old Morse Code, but as she listened to it, there was no coherent message. It was all nonsense. However, Nyota wasn’t the top of her class for nothing. Her finely tuned ears easily picked up a pattern in the series of beeps, which meant it was coded.

“Sulu,” she looked over her shoulder, and he swiveled in the chair to meet her gaze. “Someone’s broadcasting a Morse Code message from the _Enterprise_.”

All heads turned on the bridge with bewildered curiosity.

“Morse Code?” Sulu said skeptically. “You sure?”

She eyed him dubiously. “Is it really so strange to have Twentieth Century communication on a ship with Twentieth Century supermen?”

The obvious finally jolted Sulu into quick thinking and his mouth fell open. “How long have they been broadcasting? Can you pin point where it’s coming from? What’s it saying?”

“Working on it now… It’s coded, so it’ll just take me a moment. If I use the computer to translate it, anyone could access it and know that we know…”

Sulu was out of the captain’s chair, which meant this was serious. Because the helmsmen loved sitting there. He approached her station and leaned in for a better look at her readings.

“You think it’s him?” he whispered.

By ‘him’ he obviously meant Khan.

“He’s vith ze captain and meester Spock,” Chekov’s voice peeped into the conversation. He had approached her station as well.

“It’s broadcasting right now,” Uhura explained.

Sulu’s face was hard, the burden of command weighing down on him but not more than he could handle.

“Okay,” he said at last, still quietly. “Find out where it’s coming from and what it’s saying. Chekov, you need to inform Kirk and Spock without Khan cluing in.”

“Aye, sir.” Chekov nodded and scurried away.

“As soon as you decode the message, let me know.”

“Yes, sir,” she acknowledged, her hands never stopping as she transcribed the pattern, to decode it.

 

* * *

 

Joaquin had never in his life wished so desperately to be wrong. For the past few weeks that he had been shadowing Marla, he wanted proof that she was not in fact meeting with the dissenters—that she was not conspiring against her husband and Joaquin’s revered leader. She knew he was watching her, it was impossible to be entirely stealthy. He had seen her see him when she went to see Carol Marcus, that in itself not a crime but another way for her to isolate herself from the augments as she drifted closer to her Starfleet family.

Other times, Marla was quite sneaky. She found a way to evade him time and time again, often for simple privacy he had come to learn. But her ability to avoid him and be secretive only increased his suspicions. Marla Singh nee McGivers was much more cunning than she made herself out to be.

One day he caught her: She had been meeting with Otto, and they were planning something.

Joaquin waited. She didn’t have Kati’s child with her. That was the first clue that she was up to something, because the inferior woman never let the child out of her sight. He watched as she and Otto concluded their meeting, the two of them going in opposite directions with innocent airs and calmly looking over their shoulders.

Joaquin waited until she was out of sight of Otto before he fell into the wake of her steps, following but closing in quickly with his long strides. He was, after all, three heads taller than she was.

“Marla,” he spoke only when he was only a breath behind her.

She gasped loudly and spun around, pale and breathless, a hand falling over her round belly. Her mouth was open and she stared for a moment.

“Oh my God, Joaquin…” she barely managed to speak, even forcing a breathy laugh. “You scared me!”

“I saw you,” he said simply. Without giving her the chance to question or deny anything he continued. “I saw you speaking to Otto and this isn’t the first time. You know he’s your husband’s enemy and you have been conspiring with him.”

“No one’s conspiring,” she said indignantly. “You refused to help me, Joaquin, and I won’t give up that easily. You can’t tell me that Khan isn’t going to do anything terrible to them.”

“Your meddling will only make things worse,” he loomed over her to drive home the warning. “I will not allow you to interfere with Khan! Even if he won’t stop you, I will.”

Fear momentarily clouded her eyes before defiance filled them with fire. She hadn’t caught her breath yet, but she stared at him in a show of fearlessness. “You wouldn’t hurt me, Joaquin. It doesn’t matter how you feel about me, I know you wouldn’t do that to Khan.”

“I will take whatever consequences come my way so long as I save him from you. Now, you will tell me what you were planning with Otto!”

She shook her head, red strands flying with the adamant gesture.

Anger was boiling up inside of him. “Woman, you don’t know what you’re risking!” He gripped her small arms tightly, enough to cause a little pain and intimidation. “What are you planning?!”

She grunted at the harsh grip, and her knees buckled a little. He could tell it was becoming more and more difficult for her to hide her fear, which he knew put him to an advantage in extracting information. If this was anyone but Khan’s wife, he would have struck her to enforce his authority.

She shook her hard, provoking a sharp cry from her. “Tell me!”

Another cry of pain escaped her, even when he wasn’t shaking her. It was then that he noticed she was clutching her stomach, her legs giving out beneath her. He held her upright, his anger quickly disintegrating into panic.

The baby was coming.

 

* * *

 

“In order to dismantle the engine of a ship of any size, ye _have_ to know what kind of engine it is! What kind o’ power it uses, how big it is, what kinds o’ shields it ‘as around it— _and_ just how many of these bloody things we’re supposed to take out!”

Scotty spewed out the particulars, veins popping a little in his neck. The four men were standing around a table—Kirk, Spock, Scotty, and Khan—their current prototype of a modified bomb sitting innocuously in the middle. Khan apathetically listened to Scotty’s rants before replying pithily.

“Even newly designed Klingon warships will have some of the most standard specifications of any Klingon ship. A cloaking device, for example. We target that.”

Scotty huffed and looked imploringly to Jim. “Captain, if ye want to be sure that this’ll keep the Klingons from launching that Armada, then ye might as well toss some red matter in the middle of it an’ be done!”

“We don’t have red matter,” Jim said simply. “And we don’t want to take more lives than necessary. Let alone create any unnecessary black holes.”

“Killing them all would provide them with some honor intact,” Khan pointed out, arms folded over the red tunic that never did look right on him. “Reducing their powerful armada into useless husks will render them impotent and ashamed. It’ll anger them and it will diminish their morale to be so defeated without lives lost.”

“Machiavelli said it best,” Jim smirked.

“Machiavelli promoted the dismissal of many widely held ethical standards for the sake of winning wars,” Spock finally joined in. “That is not what Starfleet endorses.”

Khan laughed, which turned all their heads. “So naive a statement from such a logical man. Starfleet has always been the fist of the superpower that is the Federation and therefore selective in its ‘ethical standards’. All the more reason that our bomb, to render their most powerful weapon inert, must appear as effortless as possible. They must believe that our resources are in no way depleted in such a large scale act.”

Jim hated to agree, but Khan was right. He looked to Scotty with sympathy. “Every act of sabotage involves a level of psychology, Scotty. You gotta make it work.”

Scotty scoffed, his mouth hanging open as he tried to articulate a rebuttal. “Don’t ye think, in all these years we been fightin’ the Klingons, we would have come up with a weapon like that by now? An’ now yer askin’ me to whip one up like a haggis omelet? We got this, Jim,” he pointed to their prototype, “an’ this may be the closest we’re gonna get!”

“But you said this thing is as likely to knock out their engines as it is to make them explode.” Jim pointed at them too for emphasis. “That’s not good enough, Scotty!”

“He helped build ‘em, too, ye know!” the Scotsman jutted a thumb at Khan who stood beside him.

Khan glanced at that accusing thumb, cool eyes shifting back to Kirk unfazed. “The 50% of that bomb likely to knock out the engines was _my_ contribution.”

Scotty’s mouth, if possible, fell open even more as he stared at Khan. “Yer puttin’ the blame on me, are ye? In _my_ engine room?”

The Chief Engineer obviously forgot who he was talking to and Jim didn’t know if he should laugh or warn Scotty to back off. Khan unfolded his arms and turned to face Scotty more fully.

“Of your contribution to this design, you made certain to describe everything that _can_ _’t_ be done more than you’ve offered what _could_ be done.”

“Oh, really?” Scotty’s brows rose with insult. “Who’s the one who figured out to cross the number seven and number three circuits so that the bloody thing wouldn’t blow us to Andromeda?”

“A conclusion that would have been reached sooner if you hadn’t been droning like a fool down your list of how impossible it is to change the laws of physics.”

“How about the both of you stop pointing fingers?” the captain offered as the mediator, attempting to diffuse the situation. “Both of you are the two best engineers I’ve seen—Scotty I’ve seen you do more impossible things than anyone. If you two can’t figure this out, I’ll just have to find someone who can.”

He wished he could call Carol. She would have been the ideal candidate for this project. But it was too risky to call out to any starbase, especially with such sensitive information. It was a little hard to believe that such brilliant minds as Khan and Scotty’s combined would be stuck with such a project. Then it occurred to him that the combination was probably halting their progress. They were stymieing each other.

“Okay, guys…” Jim rested his knuckles on the table. “How about a change in how we’re tackling this… I want you both to approach this separately. Both of you work on the problem alone, then reconvene with each other in eighteen hours to compare notes. Start from scratch if you have to. Just… spend some time apart.”

The suggestion seemed to encourage both Scotty and Khan to take a breath. Their deadline was not that tight and they had been working as though their lives immediately depended on it. That was Jim’s fault. He was pushing them.

“Well, I do have a few ideas of where to start from…” Scotty quietly admitted.

The door to the weapons lab opened and Chekov strolled in, a PADD in his hand. Jim opened his mouth to ask the Russian what the hell he was doing there when he was supposed to be on the bridge. But the youth caught his eye, a hard glance telling him something was off.

“Keptin Kirk, I need you to sign off on this, please. ”

Jim took the PADD in one hand, the stylus in the other and looked to the screen. There was a lot of text regarding their patrol of the Neutral Zone and all the uninteresting details. But hidden within the report was a small message: _Found outgoing, coded Morse Code message from inside ship. Currently decoding and pinpointing it. Orders?_

Something clenched around Jim’s heart as it threatened to beat out of his chest. Morse Code. Outdated communication could only come from the augments. Every fiber in him told him it was Khan. Why wouldn’t the prince want to keep in contact with the rest of his people at Regula I? For all the hope that he had for Khan being on their side, and all the disappointment he now felt, there wasn’t enough proof and he had to hold onto the doubt.

He hoped he showed no outward reaction and calmly signed the PADD before holding it out to Spock. “This needs your signature, too, Commander…”

Spock took it and read it as well. Jim tried not to watch him too closely. The Vulcan didn’t so much as blink, his breathing not even hitching as he too signed it and handed it back to Chekov. Did Spock just sign things without reading things or did he honestly have the best poker face in Starfleet?

“Tell Sulu steady as she goes,” said Jim. “If there are any changes in our course, I’ll give the order.”

“Aye, Keptin.” The Russian clutched the PADD and scuttled back out of the weapons lab.

Jim took in a subtle breath to hide the rattle in his brain. “Well, gentlemen, you have your orders. Anything else?”

“Nothing, Cap’n,” said Scotty. “I ‘ave a few technical journals I’d like to look over. Might get some ideas from there.”

“Nothing, Captain,” Khan said simply.

“Good. We’ll be on the bridge then. Come on, Spock.”

Scotty and Khan broke away into their separate directions, immediately getting back to work. The moment that Kirk and Spock were out of the weapons lab and out of Khan’s line of sight, they simultaneously broke into a brisk walk for the turbo lift. Jim knew Spock was thinking the same thing that he was. They needed to find out who was sending that Morse Code message and what they were saying.

 

***

 

Otto’s mind was on fire after he had spoken with Marla only an hour ago, solidifying their plan of escape. It was soon, and he was ready. They could be three star systems away before Khan returns from the Neutral Zone, and he won’t know in which direction to chase them. It was easier to disappear in the three dimensions of space than it was on the flat surface of one planet.

He sat at a small desk, the computer off, and papers spread out in front of him. The future was amazing in its technology, but Otto’s brain worked best on paper. During the Eugenics Wars he was among the best physicists. Now he was using his skills to calculate their journey, the supplies, the duration—everything to get them to a star system that Marla had helped them locate outside of Federation Territory.

There was a buzz at his door. He was not expecting anyone. Cautiously, he went to the door and turned on the screen to see who it was. It was Joaquin, his broad body filling the screen. There was a small canister in his hand.

Otto spoke through the speaker. “What do you want?” He had given up on addressing Khan’s lackey with respect, now that they all knew where they stood.

“Let me in, Otto,” Joaquin was simple, as always.

“I don’t entertain guests. Especially if they don’t state their business.”

“I’ve come to visit as a friend. I wish to have a conversation with you.”

“Conversation has never been your strong suit, Joaquin. That’s why Khan has you do his dirty work.”

“Marla is having her baby.”

The downfall of having a pregnant woman as an ally: she could drop out of the game at any moment. Otto was struck with a flop sweat. “And…?” He tried to seem indifferent but could hear by the shake in his voice that he failed miserably.

“You’ve been spending a lot of time with her as of late, I thought perhaps you would care to know. She told me everything and I would like to discuss terms with you before I report everything to Khan.”

Either Joaquin was as stupid as they always hoped, or much smarter than they gave him credit for. Either way, he was a danger. He could give them away before their plans could be carried out. He touched the button to open the door and found himself face to face with the behemoth of a man. Swallowing hard, Otto stepped aside to let him in. Joaquin strutted past him, and Otto’s eyes fixed on the small canister in his hand.

“What is that?”

Joaquin glanced to the container. “A gift… of condolence. Khan had asked me to give you something after what happened to Rodriguez, but I didn’t want to. With Marla going into labor, my feelings have changed on the matter.”

Otto didn’t believe a word of it, but Joaquin was in his room now, the doors closed and all sounds contained. He reached for the pen on his desk. If he moved quickly enough, he could get it into Joaquin’s throat. He would worry about the mess later. The moment he lifted his arm to strike, Joaquin pinned his smaller arm into one hand, the vice grip crushing his bone and tendons.

Otto cried out in pain and thrashed to get free, but Joaquin had always been one of the strongest among them. He easily overpowered him and threw him to the ground. Otto had no chance to break free when he was smashed onto his face, his cheek against the floor, a knee crushing down between his shoulder blades. He could hear the container open, a small screeching sound emanating from it.

“Oh, God, no!” Otto said meekly. “Joaquin, no, please! Don’t!”

“Khan offers his condolences…” Joaquin said flatly.

“Don’t do this to me, please!”

Something dropped onto his temple, wet and squirming. It began to crawl, he could feel every small section of its body pulling it along towards the opening of his ear. He tried to fight, to throw his head and get it off, but Joaquin held him in place so securely that he might as well have been paralyzed. Panic was overtaking him, no amount of superior genes helping him now.

Pincers clacked at his ear, and with the same excruciating slowness, it began to burrow inside, pushing, wriggling, and squeezing into the opening of his ear. It went deeper and deeper, until he could not just hear it, he could feel it going into his head. The agony made coherent thought impossible, then suddenly it all stopped. The pain was gone, the fear disappeared.

He felt at ease, the discomfort and agony only a dull ache at the base of his skull. Joaquin dragged him up by the shirt like a wet cat and dropped him into a chair. Otto felt like he was in a dream, a small voice of panic screaming out somewhere but the rest of his mind and body unfazed.

Joaquin stood in front of him, fists on his hips as he made himself look like a human brick wall.

“Have you and Marla been meeting in secret?” Joaquin asked.

They both knew the answer, and yet Otto felt compelled to answer. “Yes.”

“What have you been conspiring?”

“A way to escape while Khan is away…” Otto didn’t want to say it. He couldn’t stop himself from saying it.

“How do you plan to do it?”

“No…” He tried to resist the truth from spilling out of his mouth, but the single syllable of resistance seemed to anger the parasite in his brain and it coiled tighter around the cerebral cortex, sending fire through his nervous system and making him scream until he resigned again and the pain faded away.

“How do you plan to do it?” Joaquin repeated more sharply this time.

Otto’s face was wet with tears and sweat, his skin hot and his body shaking. “We have been monitoring the computers… Seeing what ships come and go from Regula I…. Marla knows how to access that information… They are few and far between and only authorized by the highest brass in Starfleet… Every two months there is a larger transport vessel for supplies that comes, and these freighters are large enough for all of us… All we want to is be on board, to get away without anymore bloodshed. We don’t even care about how cowardly it looks, we just want to get away… Marla doesn’t know that we were going to take Nanette with us…”

“Was Marla supposed to be a part of this escape when the time came?”

“Yes… but she’s not coming with us… She said she could create a diversion… Get everyone looking everywhere but the hangar where we would be escaping with the freighter. She also said she knew how to disengage the tracking system in the ship so that they can’t find us… She can’t help us now, not if she is having her baby…”

“Is that everything you had planned?”

“…Yes…”

Joaquin nodded and lowered himself onto a knee in front of Otto, to peer into his contorted face. “Listen to me very carefully, Otto… Khan has a new plan for you to follow…”


	41. Chapter 41

  
Jim couldn’t stop thinking about the outgoing Morse Code transmission that Nyota detected. It awakened all of his worst fears knowing that the chances of it being Khan were 98.34% (the exact amount courtesy of Mr. Spock, of course). Still, he wouldn’t be Jim Kirk if he didn’t hang on that 1.66%. He had to take into consideration that there were other augments on board who were more than willing to act separately from Khan. Rodriguez proved that. The timing was either the best or the worst (he couldn’t discern which yet until the consequences came tumbling down) because the _Enterprise_ was now en route to its grand mission. They were moving into position to sabotage the Klingon Armada and were only hours away.

It seemed that separating Khan and Scotty from each other did the trick in kickstarting their brains. They both found the cloaking devices to be the ideal targets, since they were the most guaranteed thing on a Klingon vessel, and the easiest to destabilize. With its direct tie-in to the deflector dish, it wasn’t very difficult to create a domino effect. So the pieces were ready, but Jim wasn’t sure which game they were playing.

He invited Khan, as he had done on numerous occasions, for some Saurian brandy in his private quarters. The curved bottle and two square glasses sat waiting on his desk, but Jim could not sit easy even though he was off duty. He stood in front of the shelf where he had gathered a few sentimental artifacts. They were so few and far between, it made his adventurous life seem rather empty. There was a row of old books, ones he had taken with him on every voyage— _The Complete William Shakespeare, Machiavelli_ _’s The Prince,_ two volumes of _Horatio Hornblower_ , _A Tale of Two Cities,_ _Paradise Lost_ —all recommended by the augment before they parted ways years ago. Leaning complacently as a book end to these volumes was the sehlat that David had given him.

 _Beeeeep_.

Jim shook his head to clear it. “Come on in.”

Khan entered, as he did so many times before, a friendly smile exchanged between the two. The augment, though off duty, was still wearing the red tunic of his station, perhaps in an attempt to remain blended in. Formalities had long since faded away and Khan seated himself in the same chair that he often claimed at Jim’s desk. His head was canted curiously up at Jim who remained standing.

“You’ve a lot on your mind,” Khan stated the obvious.

Jim only nodded, holding back a sigh as he tiredly plopped himself into his own chair opposite. He couldn’t think of what to say suddenly, so instead he busied himself with pouring the drinks, sliding one tumbler to his guest while taking one for himself. No toast was made, at least no verbal one, but Jim offered up his glass. Khan accepted the silent cheers and clinked the glasses. Both men sipped in silence, Jim letting out a small growl at the burn and his own growing anxiety. He slumped forward, arms folded on the top of the desk as he clutched his glass.

“You know this might very well be our last drink together…” the captain said at last.

Khan leaned comfortably back in his chair, one long arm hanging over the back of it, the other fingering the smooth edges of his glass where it sat on the flat surface between them. He blinked twice, Jim counted, the rest of him still as a statue but seeming to hold back a smile.

“You anticipate failure?” asked Khan.

Jim smirked. “I never anticipate failure. You and me are playing to win, Khan, like we always have. We’re just lucky enough to be on the same side this time.”

He held Khan’s eye, the dubiousness of that statement making his tongue feel numb. Khan was the first to avert his gaze, seeming to have a sudden mild interest in his brandy.

“This mission may very well cut short my sentence here on board your ship,” he said thoughtfully. “Although any declaration of war may also prolong it. Cartwright is more than capable of altering the terms.”

Jim never looked away from Khan. It was like trying to read a jungle cat. You couldn’t always tell if it wanted to rip out your throat until it was leaping at you. (He’d encountered enough on different planets to know.)

“And what about declaration of war between you and me?” The question seemed to force its way out of Jim.

Khan’s eyes were a calm green when he looked to him again and he frowned, not angrily, but with question. “Do you and I have any more reason for war between us? Has the battlefield not been leveled?”

There was plenty that Jim could never forgive him for. For taking Pike from him. For all the devastation he had caused. And yet, he couldn’t disagree.

“The battlefield might be leveled… But I’d like to know whether or not we’re still standing on it.”

“Jim…” Khan whispered the name, the usual condescension weighed down by sadness. “Men like us will never leave the battlefield. Even in death we will be buried there.”

“We can at least choose whose war our graves would be a monument to,” Jim argued at the same near-whisper, looking imploringly at the other man.

 _Please stay on my side, Khan._ That was what he wished he could say but never would.

“The war I fight will always be my own,” Khan stated simply. “Even then I can acquire allies to my cause. When I rescued Mr. Spock, it was not for him or the mission in which we were serving Section 31. They would have survived well enough with one less officer in their ranks, even one as irreplaceable as he seems to be.”

His brows were furrowed now in confusion as he stared at Khan. “Then why did you save him?”

“I saved him for you.”

Jim fell into a stunned silence, one that didn’t effect Khan who, after a pause, elaborated.

“You had risked your life and career for my people when no one would have faulted you for doing otherwise. What my people are to me, I know Spock is to you—family. Were it not for you, I would not even have my people, let alone a wife and a son. If there is any one man I can call an ally or a friend, it is you.”

A smile eased onto the baffled captain’s face. “You said your son. Does that mean you know what it is?”

Khan swelled with pride and nodded. “His name is Dante Aurelius Singh.”

“It feels weird, doesn’t it?” Jim said thoughtfully. “Knowing you’ll have a son. Wondering how much or how little he’ll turn out like you…”

“Should he take anything from me, I hope it will be the good.”

“At least you’ll have the opportunity to teach him the good from the bad.”

“It isn’t something I will take for granted,” Khan said quietly, almost sympathetically. “You now have that opportunity for yourself, do you not? You’ve mended the estrangement with Carol Marcus.”

Jim scoffed lightly. “Being told to stay away isn’t what I would describe as an estrangement… but yeah.” He smiled again. “I guess I do have a second chance here.”

“Fine fathers we will make, never having true fathers of our own.”

“Pike was the closest thing to a father I’d ever gotten…” Jim’s voice was low and he suddenly found it hard to look at Khan. Pike would still be alive if it weren’t for Khan. And here Jim was having a drink and a chat with him.

The silence that fell between them was heavy and he could feel Khan’s piercing gaze on him.

“When I killed Admiral Pike, it was collateral damage. Had things been… different, I would not have let him die. It’s a price of rage…”

“He didn’t deserve to die any more than those other officers did,” Jim said clearly, feeling the slow burn of an old vengeance threatening to rise. It was something he had tried to bury now that he kept Khan’s company, and he felt a distinct pang of guilt for making himself forget it. It was disrespectful to those officers. It was an insult to Pike.

“There are more people deserving of death than we are aware of. Few of them ever receive it when they deserve it most.”

“Pike didn’t deserve it.”

Khan took in a slow, thoughtful breath, eyes dipped to his glass. “No. Perhaps he didn’t.”

The augment’s voice was so low that it was difficult to tell if it really was regret in his voice.

Suddenly, Khan continued distantly. “There are some who believe that when we die it is because we have fulfilled our true purpose. If Pike had any purpose in his life, it was you.” Green eyes finally looked at the Captain again. “He performed a miracle getting you to where you are now. Not just in rank but in character. In that I owe him as well, because he taught you second chances, and you had given me more than you were right to.”

“Even I have my limit for second chances, Khan…” Jim didn’t conceal the warning in his voice as he looked the other man in the eye.

“As I never give them at all,” Khan replied steadily. “Between the two of use, I think there has been some balance. Such is friendship.” He smirked a little, not in a demeaning way, but in some attempt to hold back a smile.

Even with all the old vengeance biting somewhere in his gut, Jim felt the same. Rather than further spew any words of friendship, he cleared his throat and held up the tumbler. “To friendship.”

Khan nearly seemed to scoff in spite of the subtle smile on his own face as he mirrored the gesture. “Blood may be thicker than water, but it could never match a squall.”

“I’ll drink to that, whatever it means.” Jim laughed into his glass before downing the last of the brandy.

Khan finished his own drink, but covered its mouth with his hand when the captain moved to refill it. “No thank you… We have a trying ordeal ahead of us and you must be well rested for it.”

“That’s what coffee’s for…” It wasn’t until he said it that Jim realized it sounded like a protest to Khan’s leaving.

“I prefer my captains with clarity,” Khan was smirking at him as he rose to his feet. “Thank you… for humanizing my people… and myself.”

It was a strange thing to be thanked for, especially when he was so used to it being an insult for his best friend.

“Goodnight, Jim.”

“Goodnight…” He watched the augment leave and found himself staring at the door a long while after it had slid closed.

Minutes after Khan had left, the intercom in Kirk’s room beeped.

“Kirk here…” he said distractedly.

“ _We_ _’ve managed to decode some of the messages, Captain,_ ” Uhura’s voice came through. “ _It_ _’s been transcribed for you. I think you’ll want to look at it as soon as possible…_ ”

Kirk snapped out of his daze and leaned toward the computer. “Patch it through to my quarters, Lieutenant. Keep the data secured.”

“ _Sending it now._ ”

“Thanks, Uhura… Kirk out.”

He stared intently at his computer, waiting for the file to be sent through. It was gnawing at him, growing more agitating, more persistent, and it left him feeling cold and clammy. It was that gut feeling.

 

* * *

 

For the past two days, Marla had been resting purely in compliance to Dr. Ferrante’s orders. If it was up to her, she would have been out of bed long ago because she felt fit as a fiddle. The birth itself was painful and labor lasted for nine hours. The contractions were noticeable, but everything was manageable in such a way she never anticipated. This was her first time experiencing a pregnancy, so she really had nothing to compare it to. But it was very likely that there was added ease in carrying an augmented child.

Nanette was safely in Carol’s care until Marla was able to take her again. For right now, she was still adjusting to being a mother. She made certain her son stayed in sight at all times, in her arms. He was so docile. His hair was thick, a silky black tuft on his head, every proportion perfect, his bleary eyes seeming clearer than any newborn ought to have. And his strength—though not enough to cause pain, Marla did find some difficulty in prying things from his tiny grasping fingers.

She had never seen anything more beautiful than her Dante.

As balanced as her hormones and health had been, thanks to her child’s shared chromosomes,  she could not stop herself from crying every once in awhile. Sometimes, it was the overwhelming happiness of seeing him face to face for the first time and holding him, smelling him, talking to him, and hearing him. Sometimes it was the regret that Khan wasn’t there, that he wouldn’t be for at least half a year and would miss this early time of his son first experiencing what it is to be alive. Half the time she didn’t even know what she was crying about. More than anything she wished Khan was there, and that she didn’t have to constantly make herself remember the impending escape of the dissenters. She didn’t even know what Khan and Captain Kirk’s missions entailed. There was a very real chance that Khan would never come home, because in spite of what he made other people believe, he was mortal.

As she cradled her cooing child, she was nodding in and out of consciousness, the lack of consistent sleep already taking its toll on her. Feeling healthy was one thing, feeling rested another. She was laying elevated, finding it easier to hold Dante in a somewhat upright position as opposed to lying down.

“Marla.”

The voice startled her awake and she jolted as she lifted her head from her pillow. Otto was standing at the foot of her bed.

She breathed and smiled. “Otto…”

“How are you?”

“I’m good, thank you.” She wasn’t sure if she should be humbled by his inquiry or concerned.

“Congratulations, too,” he smiled briefly.

“Thanks…”

Something was off about him. Otto wasn’t often the stoic type and never so distant. It sent a chill into the pit of her stomach and she instinctively held her son closer.

“I came to tell you that the ship will be arriving in a couple of hours and we won’t be needing your help anymore. We can take care of the rest on our own and you can worry about yourself and your children.”

“Children…?” she asked carefully.

“Yes… I think Nanette is better off with you. It was wrong of us to demand her.”

Though the so-called permission to keep Nanette was the very thing that she had wished to hear for some time, it didn’t seem right. Not after Otto and his allies had been so keen on gaining the child, claiming ownership of her over Khan as though she was property to be owned.

“Is everything okay, Otto…?” She was almost hesitant to ask, to bring to attention that something was amiss. No sooner had she asked, however, did her eyes wander to Otto’s ear from years of learned habit. There was a speck of dried blood, another on his ear lobe. Coupled with the vacant look in his eye and the occasional grimace of pain, she knew what she was looking at. Otto had a Ceti Eel inside of his head. She thought those nightmare creatures had been left to expire on the doomed planet. She didn’t think anyone—even Khan—would be mad enough to bring them along.

She concealed her growing panic as best she could, but Dante seemed to sense her fear, or feel the pounding of her heart where he was held against it. He whined a little and began to squirm, stretching and curling against her in protest.

“Otto…” she leveled her voice, looking directly at the man. He was susceptible to persuasion, so she hoped to get answers of some kind. “What are you planning to do?”

“You don’t have to worry about it, Marla…” he vaguely seemed to reassure her. “You’re free from responsibility. Don’t worry. This is goodbye.”

“Otto, wait, don’t—”

He walked out of the room, ignoring her pleas.

 

* * *

 

Lieutenant Uhura  had managed to triangulate where the Morse Code was being transmitted from, and Commander Garrovick was ready and standing by to go confront it. It was coming from one of the unoccupied private quarters. The captain was on the bridge now, the _Enterprise_ was closing in on their coordinates to execute their mission. Before bothering the captain or First Officer Spock with it, Garrovick was sure he could handle it on his own.

It would have been a lie to say the young security officer didn’t have a little bit of vendetta behind his actions. After all, seven years ago when Khan tried to take over their ship, he killed one of Garrovick’s men—Donalson—in cold blood. All the while the rest of the crew had been knocked unconscious by the Neural Gas, which was meant for intruders. To Garrovick’s misfortune, he had been in the process of cutting through the door of a junction tube and fell unconscious on top of a plasma cutter. He lost a nipple and had noticed its absence every day since.

If he could only catch Khan in the act, sending out a coded Morse Code message to his accomplices, Garrovick could be the one to give the captain the reason he needed to lock up those augments. They were dangerous and everyone knew it, and it astounded the security chief that they had tolerated them for so long.

He took two men with him that he trusted, Stiles and Chou, the same two men who had dealt with the bloody incident of Marla’s attempted murder at the hands of Kati. They were just as eager as Garrovick for some justice.

Garrovick used the security override to open the locked door of the unoccupied room and drew his phaser.

“On stun,” he told his men. “But remember, one shot is just a bug bite to these people. Shoot as quickly and as many times as you need to without getting too close.”

“Yes, sir,” they nodded in unison, their phasers at the ready.

The door was opened and Garrovick was the first to enter. He moved cautiously into the dark room, his eyes and the tip of his weapon sweeping the area. Life form readings told them there was no one in the room, but one could never be too careful.

At last they came to the device that they were looking for. It was surprisingly elegant for being obviously made from scratch. There was one light on it, blinking the Morse Code message. Had it not been coded, Garrovick would have been able to understand what message was being sent out.

“It looks like it’s transmitting right now,” Chou commented. “But no one’s here to send it.”

“Could be an automated message. Lieutenant Uhura did say it was repeating a few times.”

“Morse Code’s pretty unreliable in subspace messaging,” Stiles added.

“Whoever’s sending this wants to be damn sure their messages are received.”

“Did Uhura ever get it decoded?” asked Chou.

Garrovick shook his head with uncertainty and all three men stared at the device for a moment, phasers unconsciously pointing at the innocuous machine.

“What do we do with it, sir?” Stiles asked at last.

“We wait. The culprit will come in sooner or later to check on it, maybe change the message now that we’re nearing our destination. Stiles, you and I will stay here and wait. Chou, get to the bridge and inform the captain that we found it and are ready to capture whoever’s responsible.”

“Yes, sir,” Chou said enthusiastically, the smell of the hunt getting their adrenaline going.

Chou made a straight line for the door, but before he reached it, it suddenly opened and a figure blocked his exit.

Barring the only door to the room was Khan.


	42. Chapter 42

  
“I gotta bad feeling about this…” Dr. McCoy’s voice grumbled behind Jim’s left shoulder.

As expected, there came the crisp response at his right from Spock.

“It would be useful, Doctor, if you refrained from unnecessarily expressing your sensations of ‘bad vibes’, ‘bad feelings’, or other similar expressions of anxiety.”

Jim had a bad feeling, too. It weighed in his gut like a mass of clumped cement and there was something itching at the back of his brain that he couldn’t seem to shake off. A lot of it was classic nerves, he was sure, but it was also the fact that he had called Khan to the bridge twenty minutes ago and had heard no response.

“Captain, our ETA to the coordinates at the edge of the Neutral Zone is eight minutes.” Sulu dutifully informed, as Jim had asked him to do some time earlier.

“Thank you, Commander. Lieutenant Uhura, open a ship-wide channel, please.”

Jim was somber, but firm in his actions. He didn’t dare let his mind wander too far from the task at hand, his body rigid with the beginnings of adrenaline trickling into his blood stream.

“Channel open, sir,” said Uhura.

“Attention crew, this is the captain…” he could almost hear his voice echoing in other parts of the ship. “We are less than eight minutes from our target coordinates where we will be on the line of the Neutral Zone. We do not need to be within transporter range, because Starfleet—for the purposes of this top secret mission—has authorized us to use transwarp methods. We won’t be beaming any crew members, only devices intended to subdue a Klingon Armada that has been confirmed to exist within their borders. Let me reiterate again that this mission is top secret. Its purpose i to subvert the threat of war with the Klingon Empire. There can be no errors or hesitations. If we don’t disable this armada, it could very well ravage the Federation and all those who live in it.”

He let that heavy piece of reality hang in the air of the ship for a moment, just long enough to let the gravity of their mission sink in.

“All right. Battle stations, we are now on Red Alert.”

Red light flooded the bridge, the Alert wailing through the air and a buzz stirring the ship as everyone moved, briskly and purposefully to their respective places. Spock went to his science station, but Bones lingered at Jim’s side. Until there were casualties, the CMO could afford to be away from post.

“Where’s Khan?” McCoy asked with as little connotation as possible.

“On his way here.” Jim mentally added _I hope._

The doors opened to the bridge and Khan appeared, his red uniform on, his hair slicked back professionally. Jim had asked him to be at the bridge crew engineering station when the time came, to be in sight and to let Scotty handle things down in the engine room. Khan made no objections and even now made a line for the engineering station where a lieutenant slipped out of the way now that he could be relieved.

Khan didn’t sit, he simply stood at the ready, spine straight and looking over his shoulder towards the viewscreen. Jim caught his eye, however, and nodded to him. Khan returned the acknowledgment and began to punch in commands at his console, preparing for the mission on hand.

A subtle lull fell over the ship as everyone settled in to their places and Sulu checked the helm.

“ETA two minutes.”

Jim hit the intercom. “Scotty, status report.”

“ _Discharges are primed an_ _’ ready, Cap’n. Ready to be delivered on yer command._ ”

“Stand by, Mr. Scott…” The line was switched. “Transporter room.”

 _“Kyle here,_ ” the Englishman replied quickly.

“Status?”

“ _Transporters are locked on to the discharges and the coordinates are laid in. Standing by, sir_.”

“Good. Kirk out.”

“Dropping out of warp now.” Sulu informed and did just that.

The drone of the ship and the rumble that accompanied as it bent time and space around them died away and the abstract images on the viewscreen ceased to flash as the blackness of still space fell over them. They weren’t near enough to visually see any planets or structures, only dots of light from reflected starlight.

Computers were more than enough to tell them exactly where they were. They were riding the edge of the Klingon Neutral Zone. Jim’s anxiety was replaced by purpose, his paranoia about Khan replaced by caution. His eyes flickered once from the viewscreen to the augment where he stood at engineering, stoic and patient.

Knowing their history with Section 31, it would not have been surprising to find out that there was no armada at all, that the coordinates they were fed were something else entirely. But they couldn’t all be Admiral Marcus, right?

“Spock,” he looked at the star field as he spoke. “Can the sensors reach far enough to get any reading on the coordinates we were given of the armada?”

“Negative,” Spock replied from his station. “Might I make a suggestion, Captain?”

“Always,” Jim turned the chair just enough to give the Vulcan his full attention.

“We could verify the coordinates by sending out a sensor probe.”

Spock might as well have been reading Kirk’s mind.

Chekov did his own calculations at navigation. “It vould only have to go approximately five-hundred meters for a clear reading, sir.”

“Five-hundred and thirteen point six,” Spock kindly verified.

“Even probes would be in violation of the treaty,” Jim hated to be his own voice of reason. “It was easier to be stealthy with the shuttlecraft, but the Klingons could easily pick up if they’re being scanned or not…”

“The risk of beaming the discharges to an unknown location is a gamble, Jim,” McCoy didn’t hide his worry. “Wouldn’t it be better to make sure?”

Both Spock and Bones were agreeing on something and that was usually the surest decision the captain could make, in theory. His own gut instinct was still eating away at him. If he could at least rest assured about one thing, risking discovery by the Klingons was almost worth it.

In spite of himself he found his eyes turning towards Khan. The man was a master strategist and just as much a part of this as the rest of them. It also wasn’t unusual for the augment to make Jim Kirk feel a bit inept in his position of command from time to time.

Khan had been listening but showed no outward intention of including himself in the discussion until he met Kirk’s gaze.

“You are not a man who could live with himself after hitting the wrong target, Captain.”

It was a strange rebuttal, but a very true one. It cinched it for Kirk and he took in a breath.

“Send out the probe.”

 

* * *

 

When Otto had walked out of her room, Marla didn’t stay in bed a moment longer. Dante was already awake and bothered and she no longer had to fear disturbing him, so she placed the infant into his crib while she frantically dressed herself in the fresh sweater and pants that Carol was kind enough to bring for her. As soon as her boots were pulled on, she gathered her son into her arms.

He was warmly and snugly wrapped in a soft topaz-colored blanket, but she gently slipped a small cap onto his head to keep him extra warm. She didn’t trust leaving him alone for a moment and would have to come with her. All she had to do was catch up to Otto and persuade him not to follow through with whatever his new plan was. The eel in his ear was near impossible to remove without the right equipment or without a danger to its host, unless if it chose to leave on its own. But it was rare that the creature vacated on its own volition and the reasons not yet understood.

It wasn’t until she was briskly walking down the corridor from her room that she realized how tired her body actually was. She had given herself more credit than she should have, but she was still better recovered than she might have been if she had an average child.

The corridors of Regula I were long, the size of the space station easing the curve of them and allowing her to see Otto far ahead of her before he could disappear around the bend of the hall. There were other people roaming the corridor, as there always were, walking from one destination to another with purpose, slow aimless ambling, or pushing anti-grav machines to move the larger equipment.

Marla knew she couldn’t run to catch up to him, she might have tried if she wasn’t carrying such precious cargo. Her pace was still brisk, enough for her uncombed red hair to fly around her face. Otto walked straight forward, never deviating his attention, his walk a robotic march that made it frighteningly obvious that he was not himself and was acting on someone else’s agenda. She was gaining on him, but not fast enough.

“Otto!” she shouted over the droning intercom of the space station, past the people who strolled through the corridor.

A lot of heads turned, but his didn’t. Then he turned and vanished into a doorway.

“Damn it…” she gasped, feeling herself winded already.

Dante, all the while, squirmed and occasionally squeaked in her arms, but he was generally content in the midst of her frantic hurrying.

“Okay, sweetie… We’re going to run…”

At the risk of upsetting the baby, she broke into a jog, holding him close but with a fluid grip as to not jostle him. When she reached the door that Otto had gone into, she realized it was one of the turbolifts. He had told her that the ship was due to arrive in a couple of hours, there was no where else he could be going. She had been working closely with him on this plan and knew precisely which vessel they were going to commandeer. It was a freighter, the _Lichtenberg_ , and it was carrying standard medical supplies. Nothing crucial, but meant to replenish the stock of Regula I. The ship was more than big enough to carry them all and capable of warp for a far enough escape.

She stepped onto the turbolift and sent it to the Level 8 hangar, where she knew the _Lichtenberg_ was due to arrive. There were some scientists on the lift with her, chatting quietly with each other about gossip of ongoing projects. But she could feel them looking at her, taking notice of her short breath and the sweat that had gathered on her brow. To say nothing of the conspicuous fact that she was carrying a newborn child.

It was a bit of a distance to the hangar and the turbolift moved too slow for her liking. Her imagination was running wild with where Otto was and what he was doing against his will. The plan involved having all of Khan’s dissenters in the hangar at once for a quick boarding on the ship, to make certain they were all accounted for and no one was left behind. The others were just as capable of recognizing when someone is under the influence of a Ceti Eel, but there was too great a risk that they wouldn’t realize it until it was too late.

Too late for what, exactly, she couldn’t even know. All she knew was that their escape was going to be prevented somehow.

Finally, the turbolift arrived at Hangar 8 and Marla slipped through the doors before they even finished sliding open, clutching Dante close. From the elevator, a narrow corridor led to the hangar, its door labeled clearly in bold white letters. Through that door she went next, which opened up to the overwhelmingly large hangar. It was dimly lit, only a few lights lining its walls and floors, rows and rows of ships ranging from shuttle crafts to small jump ships. A vast window made up the outer wall of the hangar, revealing the dock where the grander starships were docked—that was where she saw the _Lichtenberg_. It was already there, at least two hours ahead of schedule, and gathered in this quiet hangar was a crowd of familiar faces.

The dissenters, some of which she had identified, were dressed for travel and carrying small bags. Their children were there too, ready to make a quick escape before the personnel of Regula I noticed. There were quite a few feet between Marla and the group, all of them beginning to look in her direction as she jogged towards them.

“Marla?” It was Gerard stepping towards her, a bag slung on his shoulder, a child on his hip. “You’re not supposed to be here, we’re leaving.”

“Where’s Otto?” she was short of breath, searching the anxious faces.

A few people stepped aside and Otto emerged, blank faced but looking at her. “Everything is fine, Marla. You can leave. We’re beaming out shortly.”

“Otto has an eel in his ear!” She shouted, ignoring Otto’s mechanical voice. “He’s being controlled, we need to leave—”

At first she didn’t think she heard it—the high frequency ring—but when light began to swarm amongst the group, her worst fear was coming true. A transporter was being activated around them, but only the children were disappearing, even the one right on Gerard’s hip. She still had Dante, he hadn’t been locked onto because whoever was doing it must not have known he was there. Even if they did, he was far too small a target to lock onto separate from hers.

“The children!”

Gasps and panic began to rise from all except Otto, who stood complacently.

“Otto!” Gerard clutched his shirt with a roar, looking first to the man’s blood-specked ear, then to his blank face. “What happened to them?!”

“They’re safe.” He spoke as though repeating. “Marla, you should not be here.”

The ringing returned. This time, it was broader, louder, surrounding the group with a golden haze. She recognized the wide-range beaming. Anything within its beam was going to be deconstructed—including Marla and her baby. Her body tingled and numbed, the world  fading out around her, all the faces of the others dissolving into light.

When they materialized, it was dark. Dim lights carved out the jagged edges of what looked like rock. Her eyes were taking some time to adjust after the process, but her ears were sensitive to the screaming infant in her arms. Being transported was frightening enough for an adult who had done it countless times, and Dante had just experienced the bizarre sensations before he even knew what his own hands were.

There was noise of confused chatter, shouting, crying, anger. The same augments were still with her, all of the dissenters against Khan who she still regarded as friends and family. The sounds echoed against the close walls, the cold dampness immediately suffocating.

“Where the hell are we?” one augment shouted.

“We were supposed to beam onto the ship!”

“What happened to the children?”

“Marla Singh did this!”

“She told us to leave!” Gerard spoke up above the rest. “She was warning us! Marla, where are you?”

“Here…” her voice cracked. She wouldn’t have spoken if she didn’t think Gerard was on her side.

“Do you know where we are?”

“N-no… I don’t…” she couldn’t find her voice. Dante was still crying and she began to rock him, gently shushing him though her breath trembled. “Where’s Otto?”

A few people responded that they couldn’t find him. The voices were quieting as they gathered themselves and a few began to formulate plans. But they were immediately silenced by a blinding light from one side, revealing that they were standing in a tunnel, boots heard on the other side of the light where they could not see. Marla covered Dante’s face from the offending light, pinching her own eyes closed against the painful brightness.

“Who are you?!” A voice bellowed out from behind the light. “How did you get here?!”

“We were beamed here, we don’t know why or even where we are,” Marla explained rapidly. “Please, we were sent here, we don’t mean to trespass—”

“Not only is transporting to this location strictly prohibited, but impossible! The magnetic fields around this planet should have made it impossible!” Whoever this man was, he was incredulous with the whole situation. Marla hoped he could sympathize with their mutual confusion.

“We were on Regula I, someone else—”

“Regula I?” He asked. “That’s way out of transporter range.”

“Can you please tell us where we are?”

The light was finally lowered to the ground, out of their eyes, and she could just make out the shapes of uniforms. Squinting through the flash burn in her eyes, she could recognize Starfleet colors. They were all armed. One man stepped forward, whom she assumed was the one she was talking to, and he looked at them all, his attention settling on her.

“Oh my God. You’re Marla McGivers… You’re Khan’s people…”

The augments stared at this man who recognized them, prepared for a fight.

“How do you…?” She hardly formed the question when he gestured for his own people to lower their weapons.

“You’re on Ceti Alpha VI.”

 

* * *

 

“Sensors confirm multiple birds of prey, Captain,” Spock spoke into the hooded screen at his station. “There are twenty-one warships total. This is by definition an armada.”

Jim felt a surge of anger mixed dangerously with fear to practically be staring at such a weapon from their enemy. Such a blatant violation of the Organian Peace Treaty. Part of that anger was towards Starfleet for having done the same.

“What are the life form readings?”

“Minimal,” Spock replied. “The ships have skeleton crews, no doubt waiting to be manned when needed. They are clearly not yet preparing for immediate launch or invasion.”

“Well, at least it’ll help us minimize any casualties…” Ideally there would be none, but there were no guarantees in warfare.

“They are neither shielded nor cloaked where they are docked,” Spock informed.

They were sitting ducks, thinking they were safe on their side of the Neutral Zone. They never should have built this armada in the first place.

“Alright then, we got our confirmation. Bring home the probe and prepare to beam over the discharges on my order.”

“ _Aye-aye, sir_ ,” Mr. Kyle replied via intercom where he waited patiently in the transporter room.

“ _Discharges standin_ _’ by,_ ” Scotty reiterated his readiness.

The probe was hurrying back to the ship and Jim waited till it was safely retrieved before he would give the order to send the discharges. As soon as they were beamed, they needed to get out of there and fast. His fingers tapped and clutched at the arm of the captain’s chair and he fought the urge to look at either Spock or Khan. So he fixed his gaze on the graphics on the viewscreen that displayed the progress of the probe in its return as well as the scrolling data that it retrieved.

“Tractor beam locked onto the probe, bringing it in,” Sulu announced, his eyes on his console. After a moment’s pause, a flighty beep sounded. “Probe safely returned.”

“Send the discharges.” Jim didn’t hesitate. “Detonate them as soon as you confirm they’ve reached their destination.”

“ _Energizing,_ ” said Kyle.

The schematics on the viewscreen showed the 21 discharges being dematerialized and reconstructed at their new coordinates, far into the Neutral Zone and into each and every one of the idle Klingon ships.

“ _Discharges delivered._ ” That wasn’t Kyle’s voice. It was a woman speaking through the intercom.

Before Kirk could ask for Kyle, a violent force knocked him forward and out of his chair, everything going black around him. He wasn’t blind or unconscious. The lights had gone out. He scrambled in the dark, at one point grabbing onto an arm and hearing Chekov’s voice with it.

“Power is offline, Keptin!”

As if on cue, the emergency lights flicked on, lighting the bridge dimly and allowing the crew to find their bearings. Jim didn’t need to ask what happened. He knew when he saw Khan standing over him, the sharp edges of his face and body outlined by the emergency lights, his face shadowed, far too in control to have been as surprised as the rest. The captain rose slowly to his feet, feeling as though any sudden movement would provoke the beast. But Khan was docile in his confidence. And Jim only now noticed, with self anger, that Khan was holding a phaser.

“What did you do?” Jim asked quietly.

Suddenly, particles of light began to swirl around Khan’s body, slowly enveloping him. He was being beamed, his eyes locked on Kirk’s and his chin high.

“Khan!” Jim called after him. It was useless as he watched the man disappear before his very eyes.

 


	43. Chapter 43

  
The bridge of the _Enterprise_ dissolved before Khan’s eyes and with it the stricken face of Jim Kirk. Appearing around him was a new bridge, never used, vastly larger than that of the _Enterprise_ and equipped with sleek, new technology. The viewscreen was dark, save for a few intra-ship technical readouts—as expected with a ship that was still docked—and gawking at him from every corner of the bridge were large eyes.

Khan expected to be met by the technicians and perhaps a couple of officers at work on the new ship. In one glance he saw that he was surrounded by twelve Section 31 agents, their phasers drawn and aimed at him in tense silence. They were waiting for him, but Khan was not afraid.

At the soft click of his own phaser being set to kill there was an explosion of weapon fire. Khan instantly moved, throwing his lithe body into a roll to evade the barrage of blasts that burst around him. He grabbed the first body that was unfortunate enough to fall within arms’ reach of him and he used the human shield as he fired back. Sparks flew from panels when stray blasts hit them, bodies thudded onto the hard floor, and the smell of burnt uniforms and flesh quickly filled the bridge before the filtered air was able to clear it.

It was over in less than one minute. Eleven corpses littered the floor around him. Twelve after he dropped what was left of his human shield. His body was vibrating from the fight, moving fluidly through the space of the bridge as he accessed the ship’s computer and readied himself to take sole command.

The _USS Awakening._

One sensor scan of the ship told him where the rest of his enemies were on each deck. It would take no time at all to eliminate them. From the bridge console, he blocked all access in the rest of the ship to the computers. Checking the charge of his phaser, he left the bridge to hunt the rest of them down. They would not be able to escape and they were bound by duty to meet him head on. They would die honorably, at least.

He killed them all.

When he returned to the bridge, the end of his phaser was scalding hot and he tossed it to the floor. He had no use for it now that he was the only living soul left on this dreadnought. The red engineering tunic that he still wore concealed the blood of his enemies well and he peeled it off, throwing it aside like the trash that it was, leaving him in the black undershirt.

By now, the 14 other augments from the _Enterprise_ who had been beamed to the other Dreadnoughts of the secret Federation Armada would have surely been met with the same ambush. There was no doubt in his mind that the prepared agents were from Captain Kirk. He had seen the gleam of war in Jim’s eyes for days now, anticipating Khan’s every move. Commander Garrovick’s discovery of the Morse Code transmitter was all the proof Khan needed that Jim knew. Killing Garrovick spared him just enough time to get this far. Yes, Jim was clever. But it was as effective as a blade of grass against an oncoming typhoon. The game was over before it started.

A few taps of his fingers on the buttons of the command chair and he put the subspace chatter on speaker. Starfleet transmissions were a cacophony of reports and red alerts, frantic messages being sent throughout the Federation.

 _The_ Enterprise _has been compromised at the edge of the Neutral Zone!_

_The Klingons are demanding answers for the attack!_

_Klingon Birds of Prey are coming into Federation Space by the hundreds!_

_Over a hundred Terran colonists have disappeared from Regula I!_

Not a word about the commandeering of the Armada. Either they had not had time to react or they were still guarding their secret. Either way, Khan shuddered with triumph at the noise of war crashing down on the Federation. It was the same feelings a composer might feel when hearing a written composition for the first time. It was the _frisson_ of war.

Turning on the viewscreen, he could see the idle dreadnoughts that surrounded him. The ships were all attached to a temporary space dock, one that had no doubt been built in haste for the sole purpose of building this Armada. He hailed them, fully expecting to hear nothing but victory.

“ _Gelya here, Lord Khan. I_ _’ve taken the_ USS Howe.”

“ _This is McPherson. I_ _’ve got the_ USS Cornwallis.”

“ _Ling to Lord Khan_ _… I have control of the_ USS Pellew.”

“ _Wilhelm here._ USS Cargill.”

One after another they reported to their Prince. A single person controlling a starship was difficult, even if it had been modified to accommodate for such an eventuality. It could be done long enough for them to retrieve the rest of their people to man the ships. All they had to do was reach them at Regula I. With the Klingons wrathfully attacking the Federation, they would not have the time or ability to fend them off and stop the augments from escaping once and for all. There would be no mercy for anyone who came in their way.

Khan was electrified with victory and any guilt that he suffered from in betraying Kirk was suppressed as he heard the exultation in the voices of his people.

This was what he lived for.

This was his true purpose.

“You have all done exceptionally,” his transmission reached all the dreadnoughts of the Armada. “Our next heading is the Gamma 400 quadrant: Regula I. Warp eight. Set course and follow me. Khan out.”

He pushed himself from the command chair to lean over the helm. The moorings were retracted, the nose of the monstrous ship turned towards open space. In only a few taps the heading was laid in and set for warp 8. Easing the lever, the viewscreen exploded with light and the ship rumbled with a beastlier power than even the _Enterprise_ was capable of. The ship was on course and he returned to the captain’s chair.

Now the silence was sinking down around him. The bodies that laid around him seemed to stare at him with their wide dead eyes. The ship itself was eerily mute. In spite of his victory and his pride, there came the sickening recollection of a stanza from a poem he had read and loved, and suddenly hated.

_I looked upon the rotting sea,_

_And drew my eyes away;_

_I looked upon the rotting deck,_

_And there the dead men lay._

He was sure he felt the weight of the albatross around his throat.

The beeping of an incoming hail stirred him from any further damning thoughts. The hail was subspace and he suspected he knew who it was. With the push of a button, the viewscreen granulated to life, revealing the dismal bridge of the _Enterprise_.

The crew was moving desperately about in the emergency lights. Smoke billowed through, a few flashes of sparks and officers shouting reports from their stations. The Klingons were already attacking them and they had no defenses. The transporters that Khan had used were also rigged with explosives that he knew detonated moments after they beamed off the _Enterprise_. The damage must have smarted. Kirk was sweating, his chest heaving, and his head bruised. When his eyes met Khan’s across space, the rage was boiling in those clear blues.

“ _Khan! Don_ _’t do this!_ ” He had to scream over the chaos around him.

“It’s been done, Kirk.” He replied without a beat. “The Klingons work quickly, I see.”

“ _We fought them off with your own damn torpedoes,_ ” Jim explained sharply.

That explained why Jim had time make a personal call.

“ _Khan, it_ _’s not too late. Get you and your people off those ships!_ ”

Khan let himself smirk at Kirk’s exasperated demands. “Or what, Captain?”

“ _You_ _’ll all die! I made sure of it the moment I found out what you were going to do._ ”

Khan let out a deep laugh this time and canted his head to show his amusement. “Oh, I have already met your countermeasure, Kirk…” He waved a hand at the corpses that stared at him.

He knew Kirk could see the dead bodies on the viewscreen, the disgust coloring his already red cheeks. _“That was Cartwright’s plan. We decoded your Morse Code messages and I knew you were going to take the Armada. Cartwright thought you could be headed off. I knew the only way to stop you was to make sure there was no Armada for you to take._ ”

Khan’s smirk faltered. “You’re bluffing.”

“ _I_ _’m not bluffing! I’m deathly serious. Don’t do this._ ”

“As I have said, it’s been done,” Khan said fiercely. “You have far too great a conscience to cause any significant damage, Kirk. It is your weakness. I am truly sorry. In another universe, perhaps, we may have been friends.”

“ _I_ _’m your friend_ now _, Khan_ _…_ ” Jim’s voice softened, a hand raising imploringly. “ _Which is why I_ _’m asking you—begging you not to do this. You only need to ask for my help, I told you that._ ”

The idea of asking for help pricked Khan’s pride, but he was as sure of his design as Kirk was of his. “I’m protecting your reputation, Captain, by acting independently of you. No blame can adhere to you.”

“ _Are you trying to save my reputation or yours?_ ”

“We are both men of relevance. Our names are greater than we are.”

“ _What do you hope to accomplish?_ ” Spock stepped in view of the camera at Kirk’s side, a hint of green blood on his cheek.

The sight of the Vulcan turned Khan’s insides. “The discharges that had been beamed and detonated into the Klingon Armada is the first step of many. Mr. Scott was quite brilliant in his design to modify them for disabling their ships, but I sabotaged them. Like your performance with the Klingon Torvagh, these will appear quite bright and loud, but the damage will be superficial. Well…” he was smirking again. “One or two ships may have been _quite_ devastated.”

He had made certain that not two, but three of the torpedoes were explosive and enough to destroy an entire ship and its crew. He did not regret Klingon blood on his hands as much as he had made Kirk believe in the past.

When Khan had finished speaking, the rage seemed to fade from Jim’s eyes. What was left was cold, fractured, and resolved. Khan had never seen such a look in the captain’s face and it was almost chilling.

“ _I_ _’ve already given you one last chance Khan, after the thousands I’ve thrown at you. You’ve spent them all._ ”

“I was never at your mercy, Kirk.”

“ _You were._ ” The captain corrected sharply. “ _And you still are. I_ _’m coming for you, Khan_.”

“I expect nothing less.”

Khan ended the transmission before Kirk could utter another word. He was sure the _Enterprise_ would be occupied with the next Klingon attack or finding a way to keep the ship functional after the clearly ruining attack. He was content in his victory, despite the creeping guilt of betraying a man he had called his friend. He meant it. But he could not be controlled by it. Such were the sacrifices of a leader.

“ _Intruder countermeasure initiated. Destruct sequence has been activated for one-minute countdown.._ ”

The computer’s cold voice echoed throughout the empty ship and Khan’s comprehension of the message was delayed.

“ _Ship will self-destruct in fifty-five seconds. Please input override code._ _”_

Kirk.

Already the messages were coming in from the other ship’s as his people reported the same countdown. Khan’s fingers tapped across the controls of the chair to access the computer. The console buzzed in protest. He couldn’t override the computer from the captain’s chair. He needed to access one of the main terminals. He flew from the chair and raced for the turbolift.

“ _Thirty-five seconds._ ”

“Computer!” He shouted as he ran out of the turbolift. “Send following message to all ships in the armada! ‘Go to the nearest terminal, override the computer! I will send you the sequence!’ Khan out!”

He needed to figure out the sequence first, a skill that he could not expect of his people.

“ _Twenty-five seconds._ ”

Khan skid to a halt from his sprint, his hands gripping with whitened knuckles at the edge of the terminal. His hands fluttered frantically over the screens as he accessed the computer, broke through the walls in its system. It took ten precious seconds.

“ _Destruct sequence aborted._ ”

“Computer! Message to the other ships! The sequence—”

The ship jolted, thrashing him against a wall. He had been knocked out of warp by close proximity explosions. His heart dropped but his hands were moving numbly over the buttons as he accessed the readings of the ship’s sensors. Explosions, all around his ship, one after another. The Armada was going up in flames around him, the impact rattling and searing the _USS Awakening_ from all sides. There was only enough time for a fractured cries for help before they was cut off.

He was too slow. He could still hear the debris crashing into his ship, but all the voices were silent.

 

* * *

 

 

“Cap’n, we don’t have enough power to keep the shields up much longer!” Scotty protested from the engineering station on the bridge.

“The Klingons aren’t responding to our hails!” Uhura shouted over the noise.

“Helm’s not responding either,” said Sulu.

“Detecting high lewels of anti-protons around ze ship!” Chekov leaned in close to his console.

“Without functioning sensors, it is impossible to ascertain how many Birds of Prey there are, but it is certain that they have us surrounded, Captain,” Spock spoke with the most calm and the least calming report.

“ _McCoy to the bridge!_ ”

Jim hit the button without any thought. “Bridge.”

“ _Jim, Garrovick_ _’s dead along with Stiles and Chou. They were just brought in to Sick Bay. S’far as I can make out, Khan killed them all._ ”

Garrovick was ordered to wait for the captain’s word before moving in. It was unlikely that Khan hunted him down—he was probably provoked. It was for Garrovick’s sake that Jim wanted him to wait and now the young officer was dead, after all their years of serving together. There was no time for guilt, however. The ship and crew were desperate and looking to him for survival.

A blast shook the ship, flaring up more alerts and throwing the crew off balance. The Klingons were firing again. The screen was flickering with scraps of scrambled data, the ship fighting to send out the information with scant power. The starfield in front of them flashed with glimpses of disrupter fire, an occasional Bird of Prey appearing long enough to fire before vanishing in a blink.

“Ve don’t have enough power for phasers, Keptin,” Chekov said helplessly.

“Our shields are at twelve percent and dropping, sir,” said Sulu rapidly. “We don’t have warp and we are on full impulse now, we won’t be able to out run them!”

They were like a great wounded animal surrounded by hyenas. Kirk stared helplessly at the viewscreen.

Khan did this and it was because Kirk bet against all odds that he wouldn’t.

“Assuming they are receiving our hails, they would be unlikely to respond.” Spock said flatly as he gripped the captain’s chair for support as the bridge rattled. It was as though he could read Jim’s mind.

There was a finality in Spock’s tone. He knew as well as Jim did that the _Enterprise_ was the one in the wrong. The Klingons had every right to obliterate them here and now. A barrage of disruptor fire shook the ship then suddenly it all stopped. Aside from the continued groaning of the _Enterprise_ and the wailing of its alarms, everything outside of them was still and silent.

“They stopped firing…” Uhura spoke the obvious, her voice soft with a mixture of fear and bewilderment.

Intuition twisted in Jim’s gut. “Try hailing them, Lieutenant…” Jim said carefully. He was holding his breath, waiting for a deathblow.

“They’re hailing _us_ ,” she said simply.

The Klingons were going to offer terms of surrender, which was a death sentence. Kirk forced in a deep breath and rose to his feet. He moved away from the command chair, to conceal any need to lean on something.

“On screen.”

The sound of Uhura flipping the switches seemed strangely loud, and a scrambled image began to form on the viewscreen in front of him. The unappealing Klingon face that appeared surprised Jim in its familiarity.

“ _We meet again, Captain Kirk_ ,” he snarled.

“Captain Torvagh…” Jim greeted respectfully. “I suppose you’ll want us to surrender?”

“ _We were attacked on our own side of the Neutral Zone_ ,” he growled. “ _It was a sneaky, dishonorable way to attack and in blatant violation of the treaty that the Klingon Empire had signed with the Federation._ ”

Jim clenched his jaw. He wasn’t about to confirm or deny something that Torvagh wasn’t even accusing. He didn’t directly implicate the _Enterprise._

“ _It is fortunate for you_ ,” Torvagh sneered, “ _that I have come to stop this attack on your ship. Our patrol ships are merciless, and were close to destroying you completely._ ”

“Why stop the attack?” Jim asked suspiciously.

“ _We were informed that it was one John Harrison, our old enemy, who was responsible for attacking us and leaving your ship for dead. As eager as I am to eliminate the_ Enterprise _, it will not be when it is helpless and so easy a target._ ”

Jim wasn’t ready to sigh with relief yet.

“ _Furthermore_ _…_ ” the Klingon stated. “ _John Harrison, it seems, is a menace to us both—the Empire and the Federation._ ”

“Captain, we’re receiving a subspace message from Rear-Admiral Cartwright on the _USS Lucidity_ ….” Uhura spoke up. “He says he wishes to speak to you and Captain Torvagh…”

Jim could feel the confusion around him on the bridge that was mixed with fear. “Get them both on screen, please…”

Torvagh’s gnarled face on the screen was swept to one side when the other half revealed Cartwright, sitting in a command chair of his own from a ship’s bridge.

“ _Captain Kirk.Captain Torvagh._ ” Cartwright said sternly. “ _Kirk, I_ _’ve reached out to the Klingon Empire regarding the rogue, Harrison. That he’s at large and has commandeered Starfleet vessels._ ”

Jim noticed immediately that Cartwright avoided referring to any ‘armada’.

Cartwright continued. “ _They_ _’re en route to the Gamma 400 system, we can only assume they are after Regula I. However, the ship’s fail safes that you suggested we put in place should be activating as we speak. I don’t expect them to get very far, but it’s our duty to catch up to them and make sure the job is done._ ”

The burn of revenge began to ignite in Jim’s heart where he felt Khan had wedged a knife.

“I’m with you, sir, but my ship is in critical condition. We have no power.”

“ _We offer our services to repair your ship,_ ” Torvagh said.

“ _We_ _’re too far out to be of any immediate help,”_ said Cartwright. “ _You can trust Captain Torvagh._ ”

There was always room for doubt regarding Klingons, and yet Jim felt that he could trust him. Torvagh had already proven he was a warrior with true honor.

“ _What do you need?_ ” asked Torvagh.


	44. Chapter 44

 

The commanding officer of the security team on Ceti Alpha VI was named Lieutenant Mallory. In spite of his frazzled and alarmed state, he was courteous (all things considered) towards Marla and the group of augments that were practically beamed into his lap. He escorted the group to a more comfortable room, a storage space, which was lined with labeled crates and better lighting than the dim corridor lights of the carved out halls. He accessed a terminal in the room to call the chief of the secret base, Commander Thel.

Being among Section 31 again made Marla’s skin crawl and there was a constant undercurrent of panic ringing through her body, no matter how much calm she forced on herself. She was their prisoner once, years ago. They had lied to Khan that she betrayed him and they tried to use her to get to him. Court martial, endless questioning, the hateful accusations and the way that they treated someone that they considered a traitor. She couldn’t help but wonder if they were be less kind had she not been accompanied by dozens of supermen.

Though Mallory encouraged the augments to relax until Thel arrived, no one could could do so. Their children had been beamed away to some unknown location and here they were trapped in the belly of a small planet with the enemy.

After an hour of waiting, the door to the storage room finally opened to reveal a trio of more agents, the center and tallest of them the commander herself. Thel was an alien, Marla didn’t recognize the race, but the authority in her posture was universal. Though Thel’s eyes were solid orbs of silver Marla could feel her gaze sweep the room and lock on her. She walked straight to Marla, who cradled her infant son for dear life.

“Marla McGivers,” multiple vocal chords resonated together. “I am Commander Thel. Security is currently scouring the  planet to find Otto, whom you claim is infected with a mind-controlling parasite?”

Marla couldn’t tell for a moment if Thel was humoring her or not. “It’s the truth,” she said sharply.

“I believe you. We have been watching your colony from the beginning and have come to learn of this creature.”

“Why are you still here if the colony isn’t?” Marla asked confusedly.

“We had business to conclude here—planetary observations that were second to your colony. We are due to abandon this post in less than a month.”

“Were the Klingons part of your ‘observations’ then? Tell them where we were and then see what happened?”

“Certainly not. You are not a mere science experiment. My task has simply been to ensure that Khan and his people do not go off our radar. What happened with the Klingons was not expected. Admiral Marcus’s ideology had fallen out of favor throughout Section 31, but there are a few loyalists to him to continue to subscribe to his intentions of war. _They_ told the Klingons where you were. Rear-Admiral Cartwright does not share the dream of war, that is why he has been assisting Khan and the _Enterprise._ What I wish to know is why you all came to be here. Unauthorized transwarp beaming is illegal and any device capable of it would have had to be modified to penetrate the interference around this planet.”

The idea of explaining how they got there seemed suddenly impossible and Marla could feel panic rising in her, her heart beating in her throat. To tell this Section 31 agent that it was Khan Noonien Singh who sent them would only give them reason to hunt him down and kill him. The fact was, she didn’t even fully know Khan’s reasoning, but she was frighteningly certain that it was not arbitrary.

“I… I can’t tell you why,” Marla said truthfully.

A red light suddenly illuminated from the terminal a mere second before a violent jolt shook the room. Everyone gasped, flakes and puffs of rock trickled from the ceiling and walls, and a few smaller crates were knocked to the floor. The quake was brief, but as soon as it happened, something felt different. The constant thrum of the planet was altered.

“ _Tribauer to Commander Thel!_ ”

Thel took two long strides to the console. Though her long limbs gave her a gracefulness, there was still urgency. “Thel here.”

“ _Commander, we found the intruder! He got into the Modulator level. He fired a phaser before we were able to take him out. He_ _’s dead, but the modulator is too damaged! Frequency levels are already compromised, it’s too late to reverse it!_ ”

There was a shudder through the floor and walls, as if the planet felt the chill of death. The chamber could collapse on them at any moment to bury them alive, and there was nothing she could do about it.

“We must abandon the base, then,” Thel said with finality. A long finger touched across the terminal’s screen and Marla could see that it was put onto the intercom. “Attention, this is Commander Thel. Begin Base Evacuation immediately. Follow all protocols.”

She repeated the order and the lights changed to red, flashing the alert. Again, a planetary quake rolled through the floor beneath Marla’s feet and more dust trickled. A hand covered her son’s head and she rushed to Thel’s side as the commander spoke to her officers.

“What are the protocols for evacuation?”

“The erratic nature of this planet has not allowed for a hangar, therefore we have no ships at our disposal. It was part of the security measure, as well, to ensure that personnel here could only leave with permission. In emergency situations we have been trained to beam to the nearest planet.”

“Ceti Alpha V?” Marla said incredulously. “But if this planet explodes, it’ll still be affected.”

“Yes. But there is a chance of survival on Ceti Alpha V until help arrives. If we stay here, we are certain to die. Now please, we must hurry to the transporter room…”

A long arm gestured towards the door. Thel’s people began to lead the augments from the room. The augments, to Marla’s relief, were cooperative. It was obvious that everyone was in equal danger here. Marla hurried with the crowd that had to narrow into almost single file through the dark corridors. The planet continued to tremble and a few rocks crumbled from the wall and under their feet. Marla nearly lost her footing had Thel not caught her and held her upright. Dante was squirming more and more amongst the growing noise, a whimper here and there, and finally full cries rising out of him.

“Shh… We’ll be okay, sweety… It’s okay…” She repeated it over and over, believing it less and less as they passed through halls and chambers of breaking rock.

At last she saw the standard symbol for transporters glowing on a wall panel to indicate that they had reached the transporter room.

“Begin beaming immediately!” Thel ordered the officer at the transporter controls. “Two at a time to maximize efficiency.”

“Two? Why only two?” Gerard shouted above another rumble.

“The interference around the planet won’t allow for us to safely beam more than that. Whatever power we have cannot be diluted between too many targets at once.”

“How much time do we have left?”

Lieutenant Mallory came breathlessly to their side, soaked in sweat with dirt on his brow. “Could be an hour. Could be a day. The other two modulators are still running and that seems to be buying us some time in keeping some of the planet stabilized, but that could change at any moment. All it would take is for some rock to shift or a modulator to fail. In any case, Otto meant for this to happen.”

This was more than mere revenge against Section 31. All Otto ever wanted was to lead these people to freedom. Khan insured that he led them to their deaths.

 

* * *

 

The _Enterprise_ was stuck. Not only was its warp core inoperable, but both the Klingon Empire and the Federation had ordered it to stay put until it could be brought in front of a council of their choosing. Who had authority over the matter of sabotage was currently being debated at the same time that Klingon and Federation ships were battling across the galaxy.

Hell was breaking loose and Kirk with his crew were kept from the action. They were, after all, the ones who caused it.

Torvagh provided what they needed for repairs, to maintain enough power on the ship for life support systems if nothing else. Spock walked at Jim’s side as they marched from deck to deck, overlooking repairs and solving one problem at a time. Generally speaking, the ship was okay. If she only had her freedom.

A call came in from Cartwright and Jim and Spock hurried to the nearest briefing room to take it in private. The Rear-Admiral’s face appeared on the screen that hung in the center of the conference table and he looked as tense and adrenaline-ridden as anyone else.

“ _Kirk_ ,” he greeted curtly. “ _Congratulations on your plan. It worked. The ships in the armada self-destructed_.”

Jim couldn’t feel proud of having killed people, including the man he almost called friend. He didn’t want it to end this way. “Sorry about your ships, sir.”

“ _That was years of building and planning. Gone. Now we_ _’re defenseless against what’s left of the Klingon Armada. It’s only a matter of time before they launch, if they haven’t already… And the fight with Khan’s far from over._ ”

“What?”

“ _Khan_ _’s not dead. He canceled the self-destruct on one ship just in time. He’s on the move but we don’t have the firepower to take on a dreadnought. Not when they’re defending all of our ships and outposts along the Neutral Zone. The Klingons are pouring in._ ”

“We can fight, too, sir, as soon as repairs—”

“ _And make a bigger mess than we already have? The_ Enterprise _is locked down, Jim, I_ _’m sorry. She’s not going anywhere so long as she’s our best card to play. We’re also hoping we can come to terms with the Klingons with the deliberate destruction of our own Armada. Maybe they’ll accept it as a gesture of peace. There’s more. While we’ve been distracted with the Klingons, about a hundred or so of Khan’s people disappeared from Regula I. We couldn’t trace them until I received a call from one of my agents, who told me they were beamed right into her base—Ceti Alpha VI._ ”

Jim looked to Spock and caught the flicker of alarm in the Vulcan’s eyes before they looked back to Cartwright.

“Commander Thel?” asked Spock.

“ _Yes. One of the augments had some kind of mind-controlling parasite in his ear and he sabotaged the planet. It_ _’s ready to explode at any moment._ ”

Jim was frowning, shaking his head in bewilderment. “That doesn’t make any sense—” Suddenly it all clicked together. “Khan’s trying to kill off his dissenters.”

“ _As far as we can figure. The rest of his people, the ones who seem to be his loyalists, are still safe and sound on Regula I, so there_ _’s every reason to think he’s coming for them in that dreadnought._ ”

Khan was flying a dreadnought right to Carol and David.

“We have to intercept him, sir!”

“ _We have a few starships heading for him now. It_ _’s the best we can do, Jim. I’ll try to keep you abreast of everything that’s happening, but I’m up to my eyes here._ ”

Jim’s brain was on fire, burning for a way to get to Carol or Khan, whichever he could reach first.

“ _One more thing,_ ” said Cartwright. “ _According to Commander Thel, there_ _’s more than just Khan’s enemies on Ceti Alpha VI right now… It seems his wife and kid were accidentally beamed there as well. I doubt he knows._ ”

“We need to tell him.” Jim blurted. “That may be the one thing we have to stop him.”

“ _If you want to give him a call and share the news, be my guest. Just do not move this ship. Understood?_ ”

Jim breathed in deeply. “Understood, sir.”

“ _Good. We_ _’ll be in touch._ ” Cartwright ended the transmission.

Jim lingered for only a moment, and out of his rapidly firing brain came the conception of an idea. He turned sharply and jogged out of the briefing room. He could see Spock in his peripheral shadowing him.

“He transwarped!” he called over his shoulder, dancing to and fro to evade the busy crew members who didn’t have time to make room for their captain. “There’s gotta be a way to follow him!”

“Not only do the transporters need to be completely repaired and rebuilt after Khan destroyed them, we would need his exact coordinates in order to reach him,” Spock said without even a shortness of breath.

“No we don’t!” They stepped onto the turbo lift, and as it carried them from deck to deck, Jim’s cheeks puffed outward as he leaned on the wall to catch his breath. “We can beam directly onto the dreadnought. I did it with Scotty all those years ago, remember? And again when you and I beamed onto Nero’s ship.”

He could tell Spock remembered how angry and confused it made him when someone beamed onto the ship while at warp.

“The risk of such beaming was and still is exponential,” Spock said rapidly. “It was purely fortuitous that none of us were beamed into a bulkhead and immediately killed.”

Yeah, Scotty was nearly sucked into a water turbine that would have pureed him into meat pudding.

“It’s doable, though, and our only shot,” Jim countered. “With Scotty’s help, I can get to Khan.”

“You cannot hope to reason with him, Jim.”

Spock was facing him fully and when Jim met his eye, he was sure he saw something that resembled a lack of faith. Spock didn’t trust him and it pained Jim.

“I’m going to stop him by whatever means are necessary,” Jim held his gaze to show his resolve. “And I know that means I’m going to have to kill him.”

“I will come with you.”

That brought a smile to Jim’s face. “I know you will.”

 

* * *

 

Gelya… McPherson... Ling... And eleven more of his most capable people had perished in an instant.

"Computer," Khan rasped out, his eyes alight as he watched the debris of his once-armada glitter across the viewscreen. "Confirm course and speed…”

Fourteen people that he loved dearly.

" _Course laid in for Regula I in the Gamma 400 quadrant,_ " stated the computer. " _Warp 10_."

Kirk had killed them in a preemptive strike against Khan.

"Execute."

Khan would pay him in kind.

He would not deviate from the plan, too much depended upon it. On Regula I his people were waiting for him to come for them—Marla was waiting for him with their son. Freedom was a short lunge away. It was so close that he could feel it radiating in his bones.

His ship warped out of the field of debris and corpses, onward to Regula I. It was a day and a half journey to the science station and he was intercepted three times by Federation starships. They demanded surrender, he destroyed them with all phaser banks. They could not stop him.

When he reached Regula I he waited, the dreadnought hanging in space at a safe distance from the station, keeping them in sight with a magnified viewscreen. The chronometer was on the viewscreen and Khan watched with silence in his mind and numbness in his heart as it counted up to the hour of their rendezvous. Even the loss of his armada and the intercepting ships, he was on time.

The hour struck.

 

* * *

 

Regula I was pulsing in red alert. There were announcements of an oncoming attack, but from who no one knew. It was widely assumed that it was Klingons, with the rumors of an attack across the Neutral Zone. Carol felt there was something more, something seriously wrong.

When she couldn’t find Marla anywhere on the base, she learned through another officer that there was unauthorized beaming in Hangar 8—the hangar where the augments planned to escape from. Carol could only wonder if they succeeded, and if Marla went with them, willingly or not. So when the red alert was raised, so were her worst fears. She prepared for this.

Taking David’s hand in hers and baby Nanette on her hip, she ran to her lab. She backed up her research and put it on a disk in her pocket and abandoned the lab. On her way back to her quarters, she saw two of Khan’s people, two men who moved with purpose. They were coming straight for her. She had never run so fast in her life, David’s legs moving with all his might to keep up. She didn’t look behind her to see if the augments were following her, she only closed the door and barricaded herself inside. Terror coursed through her at what would happen if they got to her. What would happen if they took Nanette, her work... David.

All of the locks to her room were not enough. With two super humans, their combined strength pried open her door. Carol had no weapon, she did not have time to get one. The two men stopped as soon as they entered to look at her fiercely.

“Give us the child,” said one. “She belongs with us.”

“No, she doesn’t,” Carol replied without a second thought. She pushed David behind her and clutched Nanette tighter.

“We don’t have time for this.” The other growled and stepped forward.

Carol didn’t stand a chance. There was no effort on their part to wrench her thin arm painfully from around the child. Nanette was taken, screaming and confused, and Carol was pushed against a wall. The impact stunned her and she stumbled ungracefully to the floor.

That was when she saw David picking up a glass paperweight and throwing it with all his might at the intruders. It hit one of them in the knee, but the man hardly flinched. Neither did David.

“David!” Carol breathed and reached for him, but the boy was too quick and ready to defend his mother.

The boy ran forward, his little arms swinging mightily as he landed hit after hit on one of the augments. The man only mildly flinched when one of those swinging fists landed a little too near his groin. All it took was one swipe of the back of his hand and David was knocked to the floor.

“Monsters!” Carol screamed as she pushed herself to her feet. She was ready to kill them both for touching her son. She had not gotten far, however, when that same fist pounded into her cheek and she fell cold to the floor beside David.

 

* * *

 

Their defenses were pathetic. One long range torpedo to the lower levels, the “stem” of the science station, damaging the engineering and shields. Another long range torpedo to the towers on the crown of the station to knock out their communications.

Pieces of the station fluttered away from it like flying months, the lights flickering in the windows. But through his viewscreen all the silent destruction was a like a water ballet. In his head he could hear the orchestra of screams and he wondered if Carol Marcus was among them.

Once the place was debilitated, he locked the ship’s transporters onto the designated level where Joaquin and the rest of his people were set to rendezvous. There was no time to establish communication, it was up to Joaquin to have them there at that time no matter what.

All at once, approximately one hundred men, women, and children were beamed aboard the dreadnought, directly into its hangar deck where there was space to accommodate.

“ _Joaquin to Lord Khan_.” The call came from the hangar deck and Khan felt a wave of relief as he hit the intercom.

“Joaquin.”

“ _You_ _’ve done it, My Lord. We have Kati’s child.”_

 _“_ Well done, Joaquin. _”_

 _“We’re all on board, except…_ ”

The abrupt stop in his report had Khan’s heart pounding. “Except what?”

“ _You_ _’re wife. She isn’t with us… She was with the dissenters when they were beamed to Ceti Alpha VI. I could not get to her in time._ ”

“And my son?”

“ _With her._ ”

“To the bridge NOW.” Khan bellowed and cut him off as he switched to the computer. “Computer, set our course for Ceti Alpha VI! Maximum warp!”

Panic was brewing in his core, rage at the pure audacity of the dissenters for abducting his wife and child.

By now Otto would have carried out his orders and destroyed, or at least severely damaged, the modulators holding that planet together. For all he knew, Ceti Alpha VI was dead by now and his family along with it. Even at maximum warp on a dreadnought, it would take at least 24 hours to arrive.

Everything was falling apart piece by piece around him and his fingers curled around the arm of the command chair. Who could he blame but himself if anything happened to his wife and child?


	45. Chapter 45

 

The evacuation process from Ceti Alpha VI was terrifyingly slow. It had been less than two hours and only 103 people had been safely beamed away with nearly 200 more to go. Marla and Gerard worked together to beam the augments off the planet while Thel and Lieutenant Mallory looked to their own people. Section 31 and the augments were alternated, no one was prioritized over another. That is except Marla.

“Marla, I must insist,” Thel approached her. “You have your son. For his sake, at least, you must beam down.”

“I will, Commander, after the next person goes…” Marla’s arm swung a little to keep Dante calm, but he continued to kick and fidget.

“You said that thirty minutes ago,” Gerard was suddenly there now. “You have to go, Marla. You weren’t even supposed to be here in the first place!”

“I’ll go, I promise. After him.”

There was a Section 31 agent on the platform at the moment waiting to be beamed. Before the transporter chief could begin the process, the planet convulsed. The rock around them rumbled fiercely and more than dust came crumbling down. In deafening booms, boulders dropped from the ceiling—one on the transporter platform that caused a blinding flash of light.

Before the dust even began to clear, they could hear agonized screaming from the platform and Marla could see people rushing to help. The agent who was about to be beamed was now pinned under a couple of jagged boulders and multiple people were struggling to free him. She couldn’t tell which were agents and which were augments.

She and Dante were unharmed and he was coughing between wails.

“Transporters are down!” she heard someone call out from the chaos.

“Clear the platform!” she heard Thel. “Medical, help him! Pritchard, get the transporter repaired!”

“I think the platform is the only thing damaged, we still have power…”

There was a dissonance of voices as they tried to solve the problem and Marla was frozen with uselessness and regret. She should have beamed when they told her to. She had stupidly thought herself untouchable and obligated to help the others, but she had just condemned her son.

“Commander!” A woman called through the crowd. Marla could hear her but not see her until the vague shape of her in the suffocating dust approached the towering figure of Thel. “Commander, there is a ship approaching our planet! It’s a Federation ship, but unidentified! We’re hailing them now, they must have gotten our distress signal!”

 

* * *

 

To look at it, Ceti Alpha VI seemed calm. But the sensor readings that they were able to get through the interference were alarming. Off the charts and erratic—all of them cataclysmic. The dreadnought, however, had technology unseen on most starships. It was able to penetrate the interference enough to get an exact number of lifeforms in the dying planet. Whether one of those lifeforms was Marla, he couldn’t tell.

“They’re hailing us,” Roanna said from communications.

“Put them on screen,” Khan fought the need to lean forward in the command chair. He was panicking inside and feared to show it.

The viewscreen crackled and ebbed, fighting to strengthen the transmission down to the planet. An alien appeared on the screen, dressed in a Section 31 uniform with commander’s pins.

“I am Commander Thel,” her words were distorted in the interference, but understandable. Her inhuman face was difficult to interpret, but there was a pregnant pause as her eyes widened ever so slightly.

This was the commander who Spock had met and Khan was sure she recognized him. Behind her, Khan could see people rushing in all directions through clouds of dust.

“Is my wife there?” Khan would not waste time with introductions. Thel had been watching them for years, she would know Marla. He rose from the command chair to step nearer to the helm and navigation console where two of his people were seated.

“Khan!” Marla suddenly appeared in view, pale and frenzied, her arms wrapped protectively around the squirming child in her arms. She was smiling, her cheeks wet and smudged with dirt.

“You’re safe,” Khan could not help voicing his relief, but the panic remained so long as she was on that planet. “We are attempting to lock onto you, it will only be a moment…” He leaned over the console, fingers working deftly to strengthen the signal.

“Thank God you’re here,” she laughed with silly relief. “We’re trapped here, the transporter’s been damaged…”

“Just as well. I’ve only come for you.”

Her joy in seeing him faded a little. “No. Khan, you have to save everyone else, too!”

“There is no time to debate this,” Khan looked up at her from his work on the console. “It was their mistake to capture you…”

“Capture me? I was beamed with them by accident, no one forced me here. I was with them because I was trying to stop them.”

“It’s needless to protect them, Marla…”

“My Lord…”

Joaquin’s voice was low behind him and Khan felt a chill when he met his gaze. He was silently asking for a word and Khan quickly moved nearer.

“She’s telling the truth,” Joaquin spoke quietly, but his voice could have easily been heard through the viewscreen. Not that it mattered. “I have kept this secret from you, My Lord, but your wife has been aiding the dissenters for months now. She tried to save them from your trap and was caught in it instead…”

Joaquin’s words had no meaning, but Khan felt every puncturing syllable. “You’re mistaken… You’re wrong…”

Joaquin swallowed hard and took a step back. “I’m not, Excellency… I’ve tried to stop her, to protect her. To protect you. She only means well, and so have I…”

Joaquin would never lie to him. Marla would never betray him. _Both_ of these things could not be true.

Secrets. Lies. Treachery. That was all that Khan could hear whispering then screaming in his head.

“Khan, please!” Marla was begging from the screen.

When he looked at her again, seeing the rocks that trickled behind her, he was suddenly looking at something new. He couldn’t see his wife, though she looked right at him.

“You’re better than this, I know you can’t just let these people die!” Marla’s voice was breaking from tears and the increasing interference of the immolating planet. The baby was screaming in her arms.

Faces and noise.

All became calm inside of him and he stood at his full stature as he faced the screen.

“Marla…” he said clearly, his words slowly articulated. “You have been accused of conspiring behind my back. Accused of betraying the trust I held in you—betraying my love for you. Deny it. Please.”

“I didn’t betray you!” She gasped with incredulity that quickly returned to panic. “I was trying to prevent more bloodshed! Khan, please! Our son! We can argue later, you can’t let them all die! We will die if you don’t help us now!”

She denied it, yet confessed it all. After years of defending her, justifying her, protecting her, and accepting her, he could not find it in him to do it again.

“I have sent traitors to that planet to die. None are exempt. And I may now remedy my own foolish error… This is where I purify the bloodline. This is where eugenics prevails.”

He could see the inferior blood drain from her face, any recognition of him dimming from her eyes. He no longer recognized her either. But he was bleeding inside, the pain so deep and encompassing that he could scarcely breathe.

“Khan, my love…my husband…” Tears were streaming down her face, but her voice was desperately steady. “I’ve never done anything that I didn’t think would serve you, you know this! I know how far you go and you don’t need to go there. No one has to die, especially not your own son! He is your blood and he is innocent!” The panic was rising in her voice again, which the child must have sensed, because his cries increased, his small face contorted and red.

There was a spike in the planetary readings and the screen flickered out for a moment. The quakes were constant now, increasing in jolts. Khan watched them all scramble, scream, and run with nowhere to go. He turned away just long enough to return to the command chair to replace himself on his throne. His face was hard and he continued to watch.

“My Lord, we have a lock on her! We’re ready to beam her aboard!” Joaquin shouted.

“Belay that order.”

“Khan?” Marla’s voice shook, her red hair flying around her head as she looked in panic at the room that crumbled around her.

“You’ve proven yourself entirely, Marla McGivers.” He spoke as a judge—as an executioner. His eyes were burning, his chest so tight it crushed his heart. “I will not tolerate such changeable loyalty. Nor will I continue to tolerate tainted blood.”

He could see that she finally believed his resolve. “Khan, don’t—you can’t!” She was out of words, for what good they would do her. She continued to scream at him desperately with the screams of the child, the image and sound increasingly distorted.

Cracks were splitting on the surface of the planet, glowing and jagged.

“Khan!” she screamed. There was a burst of light. “KHA—”

The transmission went dead as Ceti Alpha VI destroyed itself in a hellish flare.


	46. Chapter 46

 

The _Awakening_ groaned against the shock waves that rippled out from Ceti Alpha VI, carrying with them shapeless fragments of rock. The bridge was frozen and silent.

The crew had watched in sick horror as Khan allowed his wife to perish with the rest of them. Joaquin felt cold with regret. Marla would be on the ship with them right now if he had only lied to his Prince and vouched for her, rather than telling the truth when Khan was least able to swallow it.

Alarms were beginning to blare as the debris pelted the ship.

“Excellency…” said one augment in a trembling voice. “We should leave here.”

Khan sat still in his chair, his sharp knuckles white as he gripped the arms of the chair, his expression blank, distant. But Joaquin recognized the downward twitch at the edge of his mouth, the flare of his nostrils. Silent as he was on the outside, a storm was raging inside.

“Set course for Ceti Alpha V,” Khan suddenly spoke, his voice low but crisp with a clarity that contradicted the distance in his eyes.

Joaquin could follow the trail of his wrathful and calculating mind. Marla had mentioned the damaged transporters. If there were any survivors, there was no where for them to go but the neighboring planet. To go there would mean a massacre. Joaquin had led too many of those for his Prince.

“There is nothing there, Excellency,” he pretended that he was not as clever as Khan. “We have nothing but freedom before us. We should flee the Federation…”

Khan was suddenly on his feet, roaring at the helm. “Set course for Ceti Alpha V, _damn you_!”

His voice shook the bridge, his throat bulging with the rage that billowed out. The augment at the helm obeyed at once, rapidly laying in the course with no questions asked.

Joaquin watched his Prince cracking around the edges.

Was this the man that he had followed to the ends of the Earth and beyond? This man who would kill a wife and child that he had previously sacrificed everything for? For the first time the thought appeared on its own in Joaquin’s dauntless mind.

They were right. Hans. Kati. Rodriguez. Otto.

Khan was dangerous.

Regardless of his fear, Joaquin stepped forward. “What will you do?”

Khan remained standing in front of the command chair, as though frozen once more, like his outburst had never happened, staring at the viewscreen as they sped through the system to Ceti Alpha V. There was a delay before he finally turned his head, tilting it wearily.

“If even one ember of dissent is allowed to burn it will ignite it all again. We will snuff them out. We will prove that no treachery goes unrewarded. Loyalty that is not absolute is a burden. I have pulled the albatross from around my neck I will no longer bear the burden of a cursed crew.”

Joaquin could not quite follow what he was talking about, and he realized that he had given up. Khan spoke to the helm now.

“Divert power to shields. We will not out run the shockwaves of Ceti Alpha VI for long.”

It took only two hours to warp to the next planet and they went into orbit. Khan said little, but Joaquin watched him every moment. He saw the flares of emotion that manifested in short breaths, sudden sharp inhales, a quiver to his lip, a grimace of pain. But always these threats of reality that surely clawed their way into Khan’s mind—that he had let his wife and child die horribly for his impulsive rage—and Khan bit them down, crushing them deeper into the mouth of the cannon that will certainly fire with the right light brought to it.

Joaquin knew it was going to happen and would not live another moment in held breath, anticipating the eruption of his leader from a Prince to a Tyrant. He could no longer be subservient to a man who could not even command his own passions.

Ceti Alpha V looked beautiful on the viewscreen and Joaquin felt the longing for the home they could never have. What was left of their weary family needed stability once and for all.

“Joaquin,” Khan’s voice had a vibration in it that was not sane. “I will lead you and five others down to the surface—armed.”

He marched for the turbolift and instinct turned Joaquin’s body to follow, but the thought of his own son fixed his feet to the ground. Khan stopped at the turbolift and turned, his eyes flashing a mad silver at his man’s delay.

“ _Now._ ”

“No.”

That one word did not seem to compute for Khan. He narrowed his gaze and inched towards Joaquin. “You would disobey me as well?” His voice seethed like a sword slowly being drawn from its scabbard.

“Yes.”

The bridge was deathly silent but Joaquin was finding his voice at last.

“I have fought countless battles and wars for you, Khan, but I will not lead a massacre with you against our own people. Nor will I ever again think my son is safe with you. Your affection and protection means nothing when an ill mood takes you over and you demolish the very things you have cherished. You even immolate yourself.”

“Traitor!” Khan started towards him.

Joaquin readied himself for the blow, but an alarm blared over them, bringing everyone on the bridge to an immediate halt.

“ _Intruder alert_ ,” the computer calmly informed. “ _Intruder alert._ ”

Roanna accessed the security feed to locate the intruders within the ship and brought it up on the viewscreen. Armed with phasers in the engine room were Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock.

Khan had all but forgotten his intent to attack Joaquin as his silver gaze fixed on the image.

“Kirk…” he whispered.

 

* * *

 

Scotty was a genius. He was able to repair the transwarp beaming device that Khan had made and rigged to destruct. Getting the location of the _Awakening_ was a cakewalk with Cartwright there to provide the ship’s number for tracking purposes. It was a long way to warp, which meant that Scotty’s calculation had to be exact and they had to hope that their scattered particles wouldn’t be beaming through any ion storm or other space anomaly that could kill them instantly by interrupting the frequency of their beaming or have them re-materialize with alien DNA spliced in.

So when Kirk found himself standing in the impossibly huge engine room of the dreadnought in one piece, with Spock at his side and also looking healthy as ever, he would have laughed or sighed his relief if his blood wasn’t immediately pumping with revenge again.

“Khan’s probably on the bridge… Hopefully we’re not too late.” Jim whispered, his phaser held at the ready.

“The probability that Ceti Alpha VI has not exploded by this time is one thousand—”

No. Jim didn’t need to hear the odds. He elbowed Spock hard, urging him to run with him. “No time, Spock!”

Spock followed, effortlessly keeping step with Jim as they wended through the engine room. “Jim, even should we succeed in killing Khan, there are still—”

Five bodies jumped out from the machinery around them, five more right behind. From each body a phaser rifle was pointed.

“There are still other augments, yeah…” Jim finished Spock’s sentence.

“Phasers down!” He recognized the giant as the same Polynesian augment who had once pointed a spear at him when he first arrived at Ceti Alpha V.

Jim wanted to fight, his muscles tensed in preparation, but a single look from his first officer stopped him. Not only were they outnumbered, but getting killed this soon would end their mission miserably early and time was of the essence. Ceti Alpha VI was going to blow at any moment. Not logical, obviously.

Jim lowered his phaser first and Spock followed, their weapons confiscated and their arms seized. The augments didn’t say a word, they simply shoved them onto the turbolift and directed it to the bridge. At least they were taking them where they wanted to go in the first place…

Khan was waiting for them there. He sat in the command chair like an emperor in his throne, pale against the black of his clothes, breathing steadily, but his hair hung in his eyes—they looked different even at a glance. A long hand extended to motion for Kirk and Spock to be brought before him. Jim felt his knee kicked from behind, forcing him to kneel but he did not take his defiant gaze from the sight of Khan.

“Khan,” Jim spoke first, “Marla’s on Ceti Alpha VI. Are you really willing to let her die with all those other people?”

“Ceti Alpha VI is gone,” Khan said simply.

“Oh God… Marla—”

“I left her with the traitors that she so desperately wanted to save from me.”

There was a chill in the bridge and Kirk could see Joaquin, as he stood some ways behind Khan, clench his fists and turn his head. Kirk wasn’t sure he was hearing this correctly, but all the signs pointed to something terrible.

“What have you done?”

Khan’s gaze fractured but he swallowed hard, his mouth tightening with resolve. Kirk couldn’t look away from his eyes. They were empty and yet so full of chaos. Looking into his eyes was like looking into a quasar.

“Joaquin,” Khan spoke without taking his eyes from Kirk’s. “I will offer you one chance to recant everything. Kill them.”

Joaquin, who had always jumped when Khan so much as snapped his fingers, stayed where he was. Kirk had never been at risk of a mutiny from his own crew, but he was sure he was looking at it now in Khan’s. His people rose from their stations on the bridge one by one and there was no mistaking it. They were all looking to Joaquin.

The fear that glimmered in Khan’s mad eyes was enough to prove it.

“It would seem that you no longer have control,” Spock observed, a quirk of his brow as he passed smugness as objective fascination.

Khan pushed himself to his feet, his chest rising and falling in short breaths as he looked between his people. “Every second of inaction that passes is treachery! Kill them!”

Even the two who guarded Kirk and Spock, who stood the nearest to them, did not move.

“I am taking command,” Joaquin stated with forced bravery but clear resolve. “We will no longer follow you to our graves or anyone else’s.”

“You would side with _them_?” Khan pointed a finger into Jim’s face.

“No,” Joaquin answered without a beat. “We’re sticking to the plan and we are taking the ship out of here. Without you and without those Federation scum. Roanna, beam the three of them onto Ceti Alpha V. If the survivors or the planet don’t kill them, perhaps they will kill each other.”

“I am your Prince and Master!” Khan roared. “Do not forget who has led you all these years!”

No one was listening. The dreadnoughts were equipped to beam from the bridge, without a transporter platform and Jim already felt the tingling of their molecules being separated. Khan continued to scream. At the very last moment, Joaquin put a phaser into both Kirk and Khan’s hands, then everything bled into white. When his vision returned, he found himself squinting against a violent wind and looking at a blackened sky.


	47. Chapter 47

The cold wind howled through the shells of Spock’s ears and he could feel leaves and pebbles flicking his skin. The skies were dark, but it wasn’t oncoming night. The shock waves from Ceti Alpha VI were already hitting the planet, bringing with it blasts of energy and radiation, damaging the ozone layer and disrupting the delicate ecosystem of the planet. Certainly damaging their bodies, regardless of being Vulcan or augment.

The planet wasn’t the only thing crumbling into chaos.

Khan stood nearby, his eyes on the dying sky, wide and glistening with tears. Standing only arms length away was Jim, as he too stared upward. Spock was immediately aware that Kirk and Khan were armed and he was not. It wasn’t long before they remembered their company. Jim raised his phaser, pointing it straight at Khan and set to kill.

Kill him, Jim.

The very un-Vulcan-like thought crossed his mind, and yet it was strengthened by logic. It was in Jim’s nature to hesitate. He never could bring himself to be anyone’s executioner. The time had come and gone.

Khan pointed his phaser at Spock. In the span of one second both weapons were fired. Spock was hit with a fiery ice, the mere blunt force of it knocking him straight onto his back. He felt it burning into his side, not far from his heart. He glimpsed the silver flash of the phaser dropping from Khan’s grip as he cradled his arm. Jim fired, and purposely did not kill.

Khan charged at Jim, who fired again. The blast hit Khan in the shoulder, but it was not enough to stop him. He grabbed Jim’s wrist and wrenched the phaser from his hand, provoking a cry of pain. In and instant both men were on the ground and he was on top of the captain, fists flying as he beat him, knuckles bloody, and stopping only when he didn’t seem able to hold back from wrapping his hands around the captain’s throat. Kirk clawed with futility at the superhuman hands.

He was going to kill Jim.

Rage swelled up inside of Spock, numbing him to the pain of his uniform melted into his skin. Summoning all of his strength, he pushed himself onto his feet. He let out a feral roar and threw himself at Khan, his body tackling the other to the dirt and into a violent roll across the rocky ground. All the months—years— of wanting to beat each other or kill each other could finally be realized and neither of them would hold back. The wound on Khan’s shoulder hardly deterred him in the fight as fists met bone, breaking skin and coloring them both in crimson and emerald blood.

Spock pulled Khan into a sleeper hold. He knew it would not be enough to render the augment unconscious, but it was enough to hold him still long enough for him to kick Khan’s knee as hard as he could.

There was a sickening crack and Khan’s body folded as he screamed in pain. Spock gave him no time to recover. Gripping Khan by the neck, he slammed his head and shoulders towards the rocks under their feet and brought himself down on top of him, pinning him with a knee on his sternum. A few more punches to the face kept Khan stunned enough to keep him grounded and Spock pressed his fingers to Khan’s face.

In a painful supernova of colliding memories and emotions, his mind blurred with Khan’s.

He could see the memory of Kirk finding Khan, here, on Ceti Alpha V. Kirk offered help, Khan only asked for a reason to not kill him. From that moment, a tangled yet meticulous plan had been spun, improvised, built throughout the months. From the very start Khan intended to betray them all for the sake of his people. There were times of shaken resolve when guilt interfered, when Khan could not find it in himself to hurt Jim. The plan was reformed, evolved, adjusted. That intricate web was damaged when Kirk blew up the Federation Armada, and set to flames when Marla and their son burned alive on the dying planet.  
The agony of his choice, a very visceral choice made in the turbulent moment of emotions, to let Marla and their son die, it roiled in molten anger at himself, churned with the ice of regret. There was no justifying it or coming back from it. Khan promised them the universe, and now it was gone. All there was left now was to make them all suffer as he was suffering. He was a husk of bleeding wrath, the infection of revenge growing more irrevocable every moment. The plan was dead. He was prepared to die.

Khan could hardly bear his own pain, and to share it now was torturous, for he now also suffered the pain that was familiar to Spock. Loneliness, divided identity, his own powerful bond with Jim and the lengths he was willing to go to protect him.

Khan screamed but could not thrash at the calculated grip of the Vulcan mind meld.

GET OUT.

He could hear Khan demand in his mind just before the augment summoned the strength to deliver a blow to Spock’s bleeding wound. It was enough to knock the Vulcan off, and for Khan to find the phaser. He grabbed it and fired again. This time it blasted the world away from Spock’s eyes—the coarseness of the rocks under him, and the sound of the wind and Jim shouting his name.

* * *

I have failed my crew—My Family…

…I have failed Jim…

…I have failed her.

It was so loud.

The fragments of Ceti Alpha VI raining down on them thundered in the sky and quaked the ground with each strike, like small nuclear bombs, the violent winds knocking over plant life, and the indigenous animals screaming in terror.

None of it could match the noise in his head.

He was burning with the shame of being mutinied, left to die by his own people. The people he had killed for a thousand fold, and would have died for a million fold. The blood of his wife—his love—and the wife of his child stained his hands and wrenched his heart in pure agony. Only he could be blamed for destroying the future that he had fought so hard to preserve.

Khan could hardly notice the injuries of his battered body with the sheer noise that bombarded his brain. His own torrent thoughts were joined by other alien thoughts that weren’t his own. Logic was waging war with vicious passion, the ebb of phantom bodily pain coursing through him. There was searing pain in his side where he knew he shot the Vulcan, yet where he himself was unscathed.

“Spock!” Kirk was screaming the Vulcan’s name.

Khan felt the vibration of response to the name, an unnatural recognition that the name was his own.

Spock was still in his head, though he lay dead only a matter of feet away. The very thought of such an invasion sent an explosion of revulsion through Khan.

He clutched his pounding head, growling through his grinding teeth as he fought back against the intrusive thoughts.

GET OUT OF MY HEAD!

The sky flashed, casting long, gliding shadows as a meteorite fell to the earth. The impact was close enough to nearly knock both men off their feet, engulfing them both in a cloud of dust and debris. He could hear Kirk’s coughing in the cloud.

In the confusion, Khan realized too late that Kirk had reclaimed his own phaser but did not learn from the last clash to create distance.

Here is the lion I have been proud to hunt…

…Because he is my friend. I have been and ever shall be his.

Kill him. Kill Captain Kirk.

When words finally escaped Khan’s lips, they were not his own.

“You must shoot…”

Even in the dark daylight he could see the color drain from Jim’s face. It wasn’t Khan’s voice, and when he tried to bite it down and speak, it only spoke louder.

“Do it, Jim!”

Jim’s hand was shaking now. He grimaced with confusion through the blood and dirt that caked his face.

“Spock?”

The captain looked to Spock’s unmoving form that lay in the dirt.

Khan wanted desperately to kill Kirk, to have a scapegoat for his own shame, fear, and anger. But he could feel and knew the years of loyalty and admiration for Jim. He was crushed by the sense of devotion to the captain, to this man he had called friend. He could not kill Jim, but by hell he could kill Spock yet.

“Do it, Kirk!” This time Khan had reclaimed his own voice, though hoarse.

The volatile wind gusted, thrashing his hair into his eyes, but he could still see the captain’s reluctance. Khan managed to stand still against the wind, leaning heavily on one leg, the other undoubtedly fractured in his fight with Spock, his shoulder burning and bleeding.

Jim was shaking his head, though he did not lower the phaser. He knew Spock was in there.

“If you do not kill me now, I will kill them all, Kirk! I will find a way to kill them all!” Khan seethed. “I will destroy all that you hold dear! The war with the Klingons has begun and I will fiddle as the Federation burns! I will never stop! I’ve destroyed everything—for the both of us! The Federation is at war with no Armada to defend itself and I have deprived you of your dearest friend and officer. Killing me would be logical.”

Using the word made him cringe. But that same word brought tears to the captain’s eyes.

“You could just kill me,” Jim’s suggestion lacked the same challenge.

Khan was shaking his head, a voice protesting inside his skull. “No…” he seethed. “Spock is dead and I am glad of it! I’ve hurt you, and I wish to go on hurting you. You killed my crew! You and your Starfleet poisoned her against me!”

“You killed her!” Jim screamed back with the wind.

“Then—kill—me!” Khan drew out the words in fractured, tearing syllables that echoed the cry of the planet. He could no longer tell if it was to kill Spock or at last die himself.

Again Jim was shaking his head. “You can’t make me kill my friend, Khan.”

The stubbornness of James T. Kirk had never been so infuriating. Before he could attempt to push him further, a distant voice carried towards them on the wind. It repeated, and this time, words were recognizable.

“Captain Kirk!”

Clamoring over some rocks and wobbling in the violent winds were Starfleet uniforms mixed with augments. Khan stared at these ghostly figures that emerged in the dust, his heart stopping, then pounding anew when he realized that these were the few who beamed down from Ceti Alpha VI before it exploded. The last straggling survivors. It was then that Khan knew what he had to do. These traitors had no more right to live than he did, and he would not leave a shred of his body for them to keep for their vaults.

A stony calm came over him—Spock agreed. He turned to Jim, who still pointed his phaser at him and waited until those resolute blue eyes were on his. Then, Khan flicked his wrist and turned the switch on his own phaser and held it for Kirk to see and hear its shrill whine.

“Overload,” he declared. Then, squeezing it in one hand, the metal bent and warped enough to render it impossible to turn off, but still overloading. “If you do not kill us, I will kill them.”  
He made his ultimatum clear as he turned and made a straight line for the survivors. The phaser overload gave him only a minute. More than enough time to blow them all to the inferno.

“Khan! No!”

Jim’s screams behind him were useless. The confused survivors watched Khan coming at them. A few more strides and he would be in range to kill all that were in his sight. He heard the ring of phaser behind him a second before it struck his leg and brought him skidding hard into the rocky ground. He was already pushing himself up to crawl to them if he had to. Another blast hit the back of his neck. It blew a crater of flesh off of him, the pain shooting down his spine.

He fell again, knowing this time he could not get up. His ears bled with the cry of the phaser. Then all went white.

 


	48. Chapter 48

 

The ringing was still in his head when he woke up in a med bay. This wasn’t the _Enterprise._ He couldn’t even tell if it was a starship at all. When he turned his head, that was when he felt the pain course through his body and he grunted, biting his lip to keep in any shout. He couldn’t remember anything.

“How ya feelin’, Jim?”

He opened his eyes and saw Bones looking down at him over a PADD. He wasn’t in his _Enterprise_ uniform, he was in a standard white doctor’s uniform.

“Bones…” His voice scratched out of him.

“Here, some water… Bet you’re parched.”

He eased Jim into a more upright position before he offered the water, reminding him to drink slowly. Jim, of course, was parched and did no such thing. He gulped till it made him cough, renewing the aches in his entire body. Cringing, he handed off the water. Bones didn’t chastise him for doing the opposite of what he told him. In fact, the doctor was very quiet.

“You’re all right, Jim,” he said suddenly. “And so are Carol and David. You just got a few cuts and bruises, a fractured rib and some burns, but you’ll be on your feet in no time. You’ve had worse.”

Jim was frowning now, unable to recall how he got so many injuries. McCoy seemed to read his mind.

“Aside from getting pummeled, you were far enough away from a phaser overload to not die, but close enough to get blown a feet from the concussion. You got two of your own. Concussions, that is.”

Phaser overload. The ringing started in his head again.

“Khan…?”

McCoy sighed. “Nothing left of him. Not even a finger. If he wanted to keep our scientists from getting even a solitary cell out of him, he succeeded.”

Jim only felt a chill at the news. Having watched that train drive headlong towards the edge of a cliff for so long, this wasn’t unexpected, even if it was tragic. No, what made his heart stop for a moment was Spock. Him heard his friend’s voice come from Khan’s mouth.

“What about Spock? Bones, where is he?”

McCoy’s chin dipped a bit, those intense blues turning down.

_No._

“Bones?”

McCoy shook his head.

The monitor next to the bed beeped quicker with the panicked racing of Jim’s heart. “God damn it, tell me!”

“Calm down…” Bones tried to be stern, but his voice broke and Jim saw the welling in his eyes. “He’s gone. I’m sorry. We brought him on board, but it was far too late, Jim. There was nothing I could do. I’m sorry.”

He wanted to tell Bones not to apologize, that it wasn’t his fault. He knew Spock’s body was dead already. Something told him it wasn’t so simple, but he just couldn’t understand any of it. All he knew was the suffocating loss that overcame him.

Jim crumbled forward against McCoy, unable to hold himself up any longer. Bones, who always knew the correct treatment, wrapped his arms around his friend and said nothing as his uniform soaked up the tears.

 

* * *

 

Jim was eventually filled in on everything that had happened, as much as everyone could understand it. After Khan had commandeered the Armada, he had gone straight to Regula I to recover his people. The science station was damaged, a few casualties gained. They attacked Carol and David, but fortunately didn’t kill them. It was a small miracle in the slew of travesties that had happened.

Baby Nanette, however, was lost. Joaquin, the new leader of the augments, took her and the rest of his people away on the remaining dreadnought, _Awakening_ , and fell off the grid. Little effort was expended in finding them with the waves of Klingon attacks that were pouring into Federation Space.

War had finally come and there was no stopping it.

Captain James Kirk was given a rushed court martial. The board of admirals decided that he would not be stripped of his rank or ship, but he would be denied promotion for the rest of his career. He knew, of course, that this was all for show and practicality, Cartwright made it clear when they were in private. Starfleet could not afford to lose one of their best captains right now when they needed all the man power they could spare against the oncoming Klingon Armada. They would need James T. Kirk in the chair, but not without a slap on the wrist.

It took a month to go through the bureaucracy, then another to complete the _Enterprise_ _’s_ refit at the Earth Spacedock. Meanwhile, Jim was grounded in San Francisco waiting until upper brass gave him the word to launch to the front lines. For their benefit, and as a punishment to Kirk, they were thrusting him into the thick of it.

Jim could neither be happy about being in action, or angry at the so-called punishment. He took the news with hard indifference. The universe was crumbling around him and it had never felt so empty. He had distanced himself from the others. His crew, bless them, had invited him time and time again for drinks, for meals, anything to keep their captain’s spirits up. He had joined them for their sake more than his.

Especially Nyota. Her worst fear of losing Spock had finally been realized, and though Jim tried to support her when things felt the most difficult, he was crushed by guilt every time he saw her. He didn’t fully understand why, though. Khan shot Spock, and Jim shot Khan. Those were the facts.

One day, there was a double interruption in his self-exile. He was called to meet with Rear-Admiral Cartwright that evening at HQ regarding sensitive matters—what those ‘sensitive matters’ were, they wouldn’t say. Jim could only assume they had another sketchy mission against the Klingons for him. That’s what the _Enterprise_ seemed to be good for these days, espionage.

He received another call, however, from the last person he felt he could see. Ambassador Spock. For his personal fears, however, Jim couldn’t blatantly disrespect the Vulcan. He made his way to the Vulcan Embassy a few hours before he was due to meet Cartwright, all the while finding the simple journey slow and excruciating.

The elevator hummed loudly in his ears as he stood alone in the very center of it. The last time he was in this elevator, Spock stood on one side, Bones on the other. They were arguing about how suspicious it was to be invited by Ambassador Spock and their debating annoyed Jim to no end. He laughed quietly to himself, only to be painfully reminded that he would never hear those arguments again.

The elevator door opened and Jim was approached by a young Vulcan.

“We meet once more, Captain Kirk. I am Velek.”

Jim only vaguely remembered the soft-spoken Vulcan, though he forced an unconvincing smile. Velek, of course, did not return the nicety and led the captain to Ambassador Spock’s office. There was no deja vu to be going through the same motions that he had gone through before. Nothing felt the same anymore.

“Good afternoon, Jim…” Spock’s gravelly voice drew Jim’s eye towards the chair in which he sat near a glowing fire. He was standing, but he did not approach.

Velek left them alone and Jim walked farther into the room. “Ambassador.”

“Please, sit…” Spock slowly extended a long arm to gesture to an empty chair adjacent to his own.

Jim focused all of his energies into keeping his chin up, his eyes from the floor, and his hand from closing into a shaking fist as it often seemed to do these days. He managed a nod as he accepted the chair. He could not help a thought from creeping into his mind as he looked to the weathered Vulcan, whose eyes were more familiar than the rest of him.

_That_ _’s not my Spock._

“I do not expect that any condolences would be appropriate, either coming from myself or being received by you… There are no appropriate words or sentiments that I can offer for your loss. For... our loss.”

Jim couldn’t even begin to imagine what it was like for Spock. Another version of himself was dead, a younger, unfulfilled version. The one that Jim had had so little time with.

“Then let’s just… not say anything…” Jim could hardly find the words as he felt the constricting in his throat, the burning in his eyes. “I couldn’t win that scenario…”

Ambassador Spock looked away, perhaps out of politeness when Jim felt a tear trickle down his cheek. He quickly wiped it away, willing to pretend that it had never been there. A heavy silence draped over them, save for the light crackling of the fire, and it didn’t even occur to Jim to question why he was still there or why he was invited in the first place. 

“It would seem that I have underestimated certain universal constants…” Spock said wearily. “That time cannot be so easily altered. It’s rivers run deep, the eddies all flowing in the same direction.”

Such cryptic words from a Vulcan drew Jim’s attention. “What happened in your timeline? Or are you going to blow me off again? Tell me I’m not supposed to know?”

Spock’s eyes were drooped in sadness and he took in a slow breath. “It is highly probable that where we are now is the result of my actions. I have meddled. What happened in my timeline was similar in occurrences, but nowhere near as destructive…”

Then, Spock told him everything. How it was the _Enterprise_ that found Khan in the first place, marooned him on Ceti Alpha V, and suffered the consequences 15 years later when they realized the idyllic planet was left in ruins after Ceti Alpha VI’s inexplicable explosion. Section 31 was not involved, a nameless weapon of massive power was sought after by Khan, Spock had died in fixing the damaged warp core (a similarity that made Jim writhe), and Khan ultimately destroying himself with the same massive weapon at the face of defeat.

Spock was right. It was so similar and yet so different.

Jim buried his face in his hands as he tried to process this alternate version of their lives. It happened, and yet would exist as a fiction in this universe. Something was very wrong with that story. Jim frowned, his hand sliding from his eyes to his chin.

“You died.”

“Yes.”

Jim’s brows rose and Spock’s own grey eye brows quirked in response.

“You don’t look dead, Ambassador.”

“Indeed I am not. I was at one point quite dead.” Jim didn’t need to ask for elaboration when the old Vulcan continued. “This is what I have invited you here for, Jim… There is a Vulcan way of preparing for death when faced with it. Our ship was in danger and I knew there was no time to put on a suit before entering the warp core to repair it. I prepared for my inevitable death by transferring my consciousness, the essence of my being, into the nearest person that I could entrust with it in so little time. It happened to be Dr. McCoy. It is called the Katra. It is intended to be brought back to Vulcan to rest. When my body died, I lived on in the doctor’s mind. By a series of purely coincidental circumstances, my body was revived, and through an ancient Vulcan ritual, my consciousness replaced. I died and was thus reborn.”

Jim stared at him, not really comprehending any of it, and yet believing every bit of it. The more he understood, the harder it was for him to breathe. He licked his dry lips.

“This… Katra thing… You mind meld to transfer it?”

“Yes.”

“And… when your consciousness is mixed with the person carrying it, can you… talk through them? Steer their thoughts and actions?”

“Sometimes, yes.”

“What if…” Jim’s voice was failing him. “Spock, what if the person carrying the Katra is killed?”

He could see it in the old Vulcan’s sad eyes that he realized what Jim was talking about. He linked his bony fingers together and dipped his head. “Then the Katra and the Vulcan it belonged to is lost forever…”

That proved the thing that Jim had feared worst. He killed Spock when he killed Khan.

He killed Spock’s very soul.

Jim’s chest was heaving now, a scream wanting to rise out of him.

“I have to go…” he choked out as he pushed himself to his feet and headed for the door. He was going to scream. Vomit. Cry. He didn’t know which one or which one would happen first.

“Jim.”

Spock did not have to yell and it was enough to make Jim stop halfway to the door, his back staying towards the Vulcan, his head hanging from his shoulders.

“Do not blame yourself.”

“You don’t get it…” Jim still couldn’t look at him. “I killed Khan knowing you—that Spock was in there.”

“That is not entirely true. You didn’t know.”

“I _felt_ it! That’s enough.”

He could hear Spock stand and slowly approach him from behind. “That is precisely why you acted correctly, Captain. You did what needed to be done in spite of your personal feelings. That is precisely what I have and always will depend on you for.”

For a moment he wasn’t sure which Spock was talking to him.

“The universe offers us more possibilities than we can know or realize, Jim. You have never subscribed to the existence of the ‘no win scenario’. Don’t begin to believe in it now.”

Jim could feel the empty void where his natural defiance and arrogance once was.

“It’s too late. I’ve already lost… Goodbye.”

This time Spock was wise enough to let Jim go.

 

* * *

 

The two people that Jim had wanted most in the world to see finally arrived at Earth and came to his apartment. When he opened his door to Carol and David, he felt the first ebb of warmth in a long time.

“Hi,” Carol said softly with a smile.

“Hi…” Jim’s smile was forced, but no less genuine.

“Hi!” David smiled brightly up at him.

Jim invited them in and cleared his throat awkwardly as he watched Carol look around the apartment. It was clean (he was glad for the warning that they were visiting because it gave him a chance to clear the glasses of brandy and champagne that he had neglected). His place was fairly empty, save for the collection of antiques, including his books. He hadn’t been able to look too closely at the books as of late.

Carol and David made themselves at home on the easy chairs, the boy trying to be on his best behavior as he sat on his hands.

“How are you?” Carol asked the inevitable.

“Fine,” Jim smiled again.

“That’s good.” She wasn’t convinced.

“How was the trip?”

“Harrowing, actually. Security is so high everywhere, we went through three check points just to get here from Spacedock. It’s impossible for me to travel light, what with my work and David’s things. I’ve also been given the few things that Marla left behind. She had a small collection of antique books, which I know you’re fond of. She also had a painting of… him. I wanted to burn it, but it’s the only thing showing how talented she was as an artist.”

Kirk knew which painting she was talking about, he had seen it hanging in Khan and Marla’s home on Ceti Alpha V. It was remarkable, but he knew for a fact he wasn’t ready to look at it. Probably never would be.

“I don’t want it…” he had to say it.

“Neither do I… I’m going to keep it packed for now. There was such a rush to evacuate Regula I, there wasn’t a lot of time to think about what was worth bringing or not. They’ve been sending us all over the galaxy.”

“Where are they sending you?”

“Here actually. At least temporarily. It will take some time to find a facility where I can continue my work in peace.”

“They give you a place to stay?”

“Yes. I’ve been offered a position at the Academy. There’s been a flood of new recruits in the past couple of weeks.”

“War has a tendency to do that...”

Jim wanted to ask more questions about her life and where it was going, but he was weighed down with the same apathy that had plagued him for days. He didn’t even realize he had stopped talking.

“Jim… Are you sure you’re all right?” she asked quietly.

“I’ll be fine,” he said curtly. “I still have my ship. I’ll be back on duty any day now. I’m fine. Things are fine.”

Hearing himself speak negated his whole argument. The look of pity and sorrow on her face only hurt him more, though he knew she didn’t mean it. In fact, he realized he could have been hurting her. They had come so far to their new home. To him.

He breathed in deep to calm himself, his hands wringing painfully together before he relaxed them.

“I’m glad you’re both here…” he confessed and moved nearer to sit on the coffee table in front of them both. “You have no idea how badly I wanted to see you both…”

Carol took both his hands in hers and squeezed. “We need you too, Jim…”

For the first time since they arrived, Jim finally met her gaze. Those were the eyes he remembered so well all those years ago.

“Carol, would you… and David like to stay here? With me?” He spoke through the fear that bubbled up in him.

It was her initial reaction that told him everything he needed to know. She smiled, bright and glowing.

“We’d love that.” She said, a strain in her voice to contain excitement.

The response was so quick and so perfect that Jim smiled too. “Really?”

“We get to stay here?” David asked, bouncing on his hands as he still sat on them.

“Yeah, let’s do it.” Carol laughed.

Jim was overwhelmed and leaned forward, ready to wrap his arms around them both when there was a chirp at his door. He wasn’t expecting anyone else.

Carol and David waited on the couch while Jim answered the door. What was standing behind it when he opened it made him pause. It was a towering alien in a Starfleet uniform, elegant like a deer, with horns and illuminating yellow eyes. He came to recognize her from files. At her side, she carried a large container with a wide handle, like some sort of enormous toolbox. Instead of a lid, it had a nylon covering.

“Commander Thel?” He breathed his confusion.

“Good afternoon, Captain.” Multiple vocals resonated in her voice.

“I thought… you were reported dead when Ceti Alpha VI exploded…”

“It has been decided that officially I still am. May I come in?”

The request was clearly a suggestion. Jim glanced warily at the container in her hand and stepped aside. She glided past him, bowing her head just enough for her horns to clear the top of the doorway. It was then that she noticed Carol and David.

“I am sorry. I did not mean to interrupt.”

“We can leave…” Carol was already rising with her son.

“Stepping into the other room should suffice,” Thel halted her. “I will not be here long. I have a few things to discuss with Captain Kirk.”

“Here… You two can wait in the other room… I’ll keep it short, I promise…” He escorted Carol there, whispering the last part as he set a hand to her lower back. He didn’t want her to leave yet.

Once he and Commander Thel were alone, she carefully set the container onto the middle of the coffee table where Jim had been sitting moments ago.

“The transporters were repaired in the last seconds of Ceti Alpha VI’s existence. I knew my people had beamed down to the next planet and I made an abrupt decision to get to them. You understand the urge. I did not think I would make it, but I had to try. The walls were crumbling around us and I could hear the terrible thunder of the other parts of the planet giving way. We all knew it was the end. I began to beam away, and in that moment, Marla Singh made one last effort. She could not reach me in time, so she quite literally threw her son into my arms. I caught him on reflex…”

Here she turned the container and peeled back the nylon cover. Sure enough, sleeping peacefully inside, wrapped in soft blankets and looking content as ever, was a baby with black hair and fair skin. An alarmingly perfect looking child.

“Oh my God…”

“Khan’s son,” she confirmed. “Marla was not so fortunate.”

He was looking at the child that Khan himself had never been able to see and had condemned to death.

“Why bring him here?” Jim felt as though it was a ticking bomb in his apartment. He always had the same feeling around the father.

“Section 31 had him in custody long enough to figure out what to do with him. Some thought it best to keep him in programs that we reserve for orphans, to educate and train him from a young age. But he is far too young to predict his temperament. Many are reluctant to invite another Khan Noonien Singh into their ranks. The boy needs a home, nevertheless. A home with someone who understands where it is that he comes from and can, perhaps, guide where he is going.”

The implication was getting stronger and Jim finally tore his eyes from the infant to look at the commander with alarm. “What. Me? No, I can’t… I haven’t even raised my own son, let alone… I ship out soon, my career—”

“He would be under your custody in name more than anything,” she continued, unaffected by his protests. “Perhaps you could find someone who would be willing to raise him as their own…” She turned her unreadable face towards the door that Carol had retreated behind.

“I can’t put that on her,” Jim said sharply.

“I am not suggesting that you do. Only that you offer it. The choice is hers. Should neither of you want him, there are always the programs within Section 31. You have time to consider you do not need to do it now.”

“Suppose I say yes…” Jim leaned over the container to lightly take the small plump hand between two fingers. “What the hell am I supposed to tell him when he’s older? What do I say about his parents?”

“Nothing, preferably,” she answered. “Ambition may be genetic, we don’t want to risk him feeling entitled to any dangerous legacy.”

“Compassion may be genetic too,” Jim added. “He could have gotten that from her.”

“We will see. Will you take the time to consider?”

“How much time will you give me?”

“Two days. That is when I am leaving Earth with or without him.”

The way that she referred to him and carried him around like an object told Jim something of the way that Section 31 viewed this child. He was an asset, just like his father. It curdled his blood.

“Never mind the two days. I’ll do it.”

Thel’s chin lifted with approval. “Excellent. I shall leave him here, then. Report to Headquarters in three hours for the formal custody work. We will assemble the necessary lawyers and officers.”

Thel did not linger any longer now that she was free of her burden. With a curt goodbye, she left the apartment. The tiny hand around his thumb squeezed and Jim could feel the circulation getting cut off.

What the hell did he just agree to? And what the hell was he going to tell Carol?


	49. Epilogue

 

“They selected a new First Officer for me…” Jim said as he straightened his gold tunic, looking at Carol in the mirror of the bedroom that they had been sharing for the last week before his departure.

“Do you know them?” She asked curiously, standing in the doorway. The baby was cradled against her, a bottle balanced in his mouth as he greedily grunted and drank from it.

“I don’t know her. She comes highly recommended, apparently…”

“Her…” Carol said dubiously.

Jim laughed and turned from the mirror to approach her. “Don’t worry, I can be professional.”

She quirked a brow at him. “As professional as you were with me?”

“You started it.”

“We’ll debate that another day. You’re going to be late.” She nodded at him, unable to push him with her arms full.

Jim paused to look at the docile infant, whose eyes were clear and nebulous, gleaming more green than the other colors swirling in there.

“You sure you’re going to be okay here?” He felt compelled to ask.

“Of course,” she smiled. “I still have work to do and two lovely boys. David’s been a wonderful help with the baby.”

“Guess he’s got a brother now.”

Carol laughed. “He won’t stop reminding me…”

“Maybe he’ll get another one some day…” Jim ventured to lift his gaze to her again.

“Maybe not….” She replied coolly. Just when the response began to sting, she smiled. “He might get a sister instead.”

She sealed it with a kiss and Jim suddenly _really_ didn’t want to go. He was finally leaving someone behind who would be waiting for him to come back. To say nothing of the fact that the bridge would feel empty without Spock. He didn’t want to be there.

Jim pulled her in as close as he could with the baby between them, pressing his cheek to hers to savor the moment. He didn’t know how long it would be before he was home again, or indeed if he would ever make it home again.

“You’ll be late,” she said softly at his ear, but didn’t push him away.

“Ship can’t leave without its captain… They can wait…”

She chuckled and finally gently pulled away. “Not very becoming of a starship captain to leave his crew waiting.”

He stole another kiss and he could feel her smiling into it before she urged him away again. “Go! You’ll be late!”

He groaned like a child. “Fine.”

Walking out of the bedroom, he found David sitting on the floor, eating a bowl of cereal on the coffee table, staring intently at a PADD that was lying flat in front of him. He was watching some science program made for children.

“Time for me to go, buddy…”

David looked up and dropped the spoon into his bowl as he clamored to his feet. Jim dropped to a knee to catch him and pull him in tight.

“Bye, dad!”

“Standing orders, take care of your mom for me.”

“Aye aye, sir!”

“And help her take care of Dante.”

“Aye aye, sir!”

Another quick goodbye and he was out the door with his duffle bag, his heart pounding in resistance to leaving home.

When he took the shuttle from Earth to the spacedock, something changed in him to see her again. The _Enterprise_ had been refitted and floated majestically in her moorings, the sun gleaming off her silver curves and fresh paint. She was ready for war.

Seeing her again reminded him of the things she had always provided for him and his crew. Possibility. For the flicker of a moment, a highly illogical thought crossed his mind but gave him all the courage he needed.

_I_ _’ll find you, Spock. Even if it takes the rest of my life._


End file.
